Kaleidoscope
by RicardianScholar Clark-Weasley
Summary: left on the doorstep of his mother's childhood home, Harry Potter is raised by the chaotic but loving Cassons. under a different name, Harry lives a different life with many colours and siblings
1. Prologue

Albus Dumbledore strolled down amused at the strange street. It was half filled with tidy neat houses for the wealthy while the other half was filled with rundown shambles for the poorer half. Of course Lily Potter was raised in a place where everyone was equal; he stopped at the house where her sister lived. It was remarkable, a large old stone cottage with a little sign with 'The Banana House' by the front door.

Out of the corner of his eye he spotted a cat that was dishevelled and covered in jam. "You look rather untidy this evening, Minerva my dear."

The cat transformed smoothly into a middle-aged woman with untidy black hair and jam splattered on her green robes and face. She was not amused. "Lily's nieces and nephews are the most chaotic children I have ever laid eyes on and I've taught James Potter and his little gang."

Albus chuckled. "You should have trusted my judgement; Harry is better off being raised by his muggle aunt away from all this fame."

The shock of James and Lily's death had worn out a few days ago but the shock of Alice and Frank Longbottom's torture into insanity and Sirius Black's betrayal to the light had meant poor Harry Potter was a homeless ward. Only five people knew where Harry was – Albus Dumbledore of course, his second in command Professor McGonagall who had been godmother to the late James Potter, his most trusted friend Hagrid who had brought the child to him, the school nurse who had checked him for injuries and Severus Snape who had helped Albus search for Lily's remaining relative to raise Harry.

It had turned out that Petunia Dursley had never left her childhood home in Manchester and the lovely cottage with a loving family was just what Harry needed to grow up to be a delightful boy.

McGonagall stepped forward, "May I?" she whispered sadly, Albus nodded and moved his cloak to show the sleeping child. McGonagall picked him up and kissed his forehead. "Blessed be my child, may you have a good life" she placed him on the doorstep and placed the letter addressed to Lily's sister on top of him. She stood up and shot a sharp look at her mentor, "well at least we'll know he won't be lacking love in this home. I've watched these muggles Albus, they're messy and chaotic and lots of trouble but they love each other."

"As long as he is loved, that is all that matters. Care for a nightcap in the Three Broomsticks? I believe Hagrid is waiting for us."

The next morning Harry Potter was not woken up by screaming aunt who wanted nothing to do with her magical sister. Because you see Petunia Dursley had left Manchester a long time ago and had moved to Surrey, only she had kept it a secret in hopes her sister would never find her. Instead Harry Potter was woken up by a young girl's shout to her parents.

"Mummy, Daddy, the stork brought another baby!"

**Author's Note: do not expect many updates until the summer. I already have several fics on the go and a lot of work to do. However I'll try my best since I have many ideas rampaging through my mind. First off I didn't follow a cannon start because it would have made a better timeline if Dumbledore had taken Harry for safety to be checked over and in the few days Sirius was captured and Alice was tortured with the lack of safe wizardry relatives Dumbledore would have chosen the Dursleys truly believing they would care for Harry even if it's just a little bit. I do enjoy manipulative!Dumbledore but the Cassons have always been a light and fun series and I rather go through the path where Dumbledore truly tried to make Harry happy before it was confirmed Harry had Voldemort's soul stuck in his head. Also let's face it manipulative! Dumbledore wouldn't last three seconds against the Cassons before committing himself to St Mungo's. **


	2. Casson Colours

"I didn't even know I had a sister called Lily," Eve said dazedly as she reread the letter. "You don't suppose my parents had a secret child they never spoke about, do you?"

Bill choked slightly as his eyes subconsciously sought out Saffy who had been hanging onto one of his arms looking down at the baby boy. "I doubt it darling," he said cheerfully. "It's probably a mistake since it's addressed to a Mrs Dursley."

"Oh Bill darling!" Eve said pleadingly, her eyes wide and innocent. Bill had a bad feeling about this. "Can we keep him? I can't bear the thought of him being stuck in the social. Please let me keep him."

"Eve darling..." he said. He knew why she wanted to keep the baby, just like why he hadn't run off to London in weeks. Their youngest is in hospital stuck in an incubator because she was too ill, too weak, to live freely. She has just reached the three month mark and the doctors were still uncertain if she'll live... if it made Eve happy though... "Of course darling!" he said cheerfully. "Indigo could use another male influence in the house and what's one more child? Caddy makes enough mess for us to have dozens!"

"Daddy!"

"Oh Bill Darling!" Eve cried out hugging Bill before rushing to her paint chart. "We'll keep Harry as a middle name but he wouldn't be a Casson if he didn't have a colour name!" she grabbed hold of the paint chart and held it up against the baby's face. He blinked, he was rather confused since he'd woken up and instead of Mama and Dada it was many strange people. "Oh, if only these colours weren't so feminine!" Eve moaned. "Help me darlings! Pick a lovely green colour!"

"Nothing like Pine or Emerald, darling, I don't want the boy being bullied in school," Bill said firmly.

"No, no, of course not darling," Eve agreed, she looked at the beautiful deep green eyes on her new son and the paint chart. It was similar, not the best name but it'll do. "Lincoln Green!" she declared. "He'll be Lincoln Harry Casson!"

"We'll call him Linny!" Caddy squealed.

Eve took the newly named Lincoln out of Bill's arms and spun him up high in the air. "Oh my little darling, welcome to the family," she said happily. Lincoln giggled and reached for Eve's hair which he decided was like the sun. "May you be very happy and never doubt you're loved," she whispered.

"Daddy?" Indigo said quietly.

"Yes, Indy?" Bill said peering down curiously at his unusual solemn son wondering if he had to reassure the boy that their love for him wouldn't change at all.

"Linny won't go like Rose has, he won't be ill, will he?" Indigo asked fearfully.

"Of course not! He's a healthy baby and soon enough so will be your little sister," Bill said ruffling Indigo's hair reassuringly. He stood up and kissed Eve on the cheek. "Right then, I'll take the children to school and our little foundling to the doctors to get checked out. Don't you worry one little bit Eve Darling, I'll sort out all the paper work and in a few months he'll officially be ours. Mark my words sweetheart! Now you take care and visit our baby girl and I'll assure you in a matter of time we'll be the happiest family in all of Britain!"

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For a couple years Bill Casson was right. The Casson family were very, very happy. Rose got better and loved her new older brother; they could barely keep the two of them apart. Caddy, Saffy and Indigo were happy at school and Eve was making a fair amount of money while Bill was on the verge of becoming famous. But then Saffy had to practise her reading on the paint chart and everything began to fall apart.

"Saffy, can I sleep with you tonight?" three year old Linny whispered staring up at his big sister with wide green eyes.

"Me!" Rose agreed from her cot, her equally wide big blue eyes focused on Saffy.

The half distraught eight year old wondered if her parents taught the youngest of her siblings how to guilt trip her. With a frustrated sigh she helped Rose out of the cot and picked Linny up with her other arm tucking them into her bed close by the wall and barricading them into the bed by sleeping on the outside.

"Saffy..." Linny whispered. "I don't know why you're unhappy. Mummy and Daddy aren't my real Mummy and Daddy but they love me and they love you too."

That's what annoyed Saffy. It might have been only two years and Lincoln still has years to go before he forgets the fact he's adopted but she would have been truthful to him. She wouldn't let him live this lie. Not like Caddy did. Saffy didn't mind if she had been adopted but the fact they lied and kept it hidden from her...they didn't bother picking out a colour name for her like they did with Lincoln either...she felt like an outsider all of the sudden.

"At least you look like Mummy and Daddy...I don't" Linny whispered.

"You're just as much as a Casson as any of us!" Saffy whispered back fiercely.

"So are you," Lincoln whispered.

The two of them shared a smile over a sleeping Rose unaware that a crying Eve was clinging to Bill as the married couple spied on the children.

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The day Permanent Rose Casson went to school was argued and debated about between the two Casson adults and the health visitor. The health visitor rightly believed Rose was strong enough for school while the Casson parents believed Rose was far too fragile. The argument ended quickly when Rose burst into the kitchen and shouted, "I'm going to school and that's final! Last year was hell when Linny left and I'm not going through another year by myself!"

Her first day was very memorable as The Day Rose's Drawing Went on Fire! Rose had focused her attentions on a beautiful drawing of the Banana House and her family waving goodbye to Bill and she was upset when the teacher snatched it away to put it up on the wall. She was even more upset when she secretly wished that no one but her could have the drawing and the drawing was suddenly on fire just like that. Indigo, Lincoln and Rose had the rest of the day off as the school and fire service tried to work out what happened.

The next big event had been when Granddad died and his will came out. Caddy got a house, Indy a car, Linny and Rose shared a hundred pounds and Saffy got left with a lost stone angel. It was then when Saffy really started to pull away from the family and she made friends with the wheelchair girl who lived down the road. Her name was Sarah and Linny liked her for her eyes because they were similar to his. "We should adopt her and call her Emerald," he said wistfully to Rose. "Why?" Rose replied. "Her parents are alive not like yours and Saffy's" and that was that.

However while Saffy ran away with her brand new nose stud to Italy with Sarah, Linny and Rose were helping Indigo get over his fear of heights. They were very close to doing so and found a love of climbing out of the window doing so. Indigo and Linny took turns in watching over the rope while they spent the May half term holiday climbing out of the front window. Darling Michael who was taking Caddy out for extra driving practises drove up just in time to see Lincoln catch Rose from her one foot drop in the air.

"Are you kids are bloody mental?" he roared.

"Oh, it's you," Rose said coldly.

"Hi Darling Michael!" Linny said cheerfully knowing it was the best way to irritate the driving instructor.

"Don't call me that, I'm a driving instructor," Michael said instantly. "Do you know how dangerous this is? Don't you have any survival instinct?"

"I'm seven," Lincoln said, "what survival instinct?"

"We're helping Indigo with his fears," Rose said.

"Shouldn't you be more scared of hurting yourself?"

"No," the youngest two said eerily like twins.

Michael sighed, "What are you scared of?"

"Caddy's driving," the two deadpanned.

Caddy let out a shriek and started to chase her younger siblings around the front lawn while Indigo looked on from his bedroom window amused. Michael wasn't sure what made him do it, it was probably the children's infectious giggling or Caddy looking so beautiful when she said "catch them Michael Darling, catch them," but he found himself chasing after the youngest Casson children and grabbing hold of Rose while Caddy grabbed hold of Lincoln and at the same time they bent down and began to blow raspberries on them.

"No, no stop!"

They giggled all afternoon until Eve came home. Then last major event of Rose's school year was the end of the May half term when they went on a secret trip to Wales to rescue Saffy's stone angel before Saffy came home. In comparison to these major events and Saffy's anger after Granddad died, the summer term was very quiet until they had to say goodbye to Caddy who was going to university.

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"You know, I don't know why you make such a big fuss about wearing glasses. I have to wear them all day every day while you get to wear them just to read the board in school."

"They make me see too much! And I look horrible in them."

"No you don't, you look rather smart and pretty with them on. Rosie Pose you don't want to need to wear them all the time like I do, do you?"

"NO!"

"Then wear them when you need to at school and you'll be fine. And if anyone laughs I'll beat them up for you."

"I can beat them all up and Indigo's bullies up all in one day, thank you very much!"

The Cassons all took a deep sigh of relief as Lincoln did the one thing none of them would have ever succeeded – not even if hell froze over. The topic then shifted to their new concern.

"I've told you before I'm not being bullied!"

"They shoved your head down the toilet!"

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Tom Levin had come flying in and out of their lives during the summer term in the following year. Indigo cared for him as a good friend, most of the Cassons enjoyed his company, Rose adored him but both Lincoln and Bill were unsure. Mostly because Rose adored Tom Levin. Linny is not the great expert on love (that's Caddy) but he was very observant and eavesdropped on many of Sarah's and Saffy's conversations. He knew Rose was in love with Tom, who was older and not here. He wasn't sure what to make of it, he didn't like his little sister to be sad but he didn't like the idea of someone taking his little sister away.

He decided on the route of not saying anything on the matter of Tom but tried to encourage Rose to be nice to David (who wasn't the coolest guy on earth but he made Indigo take Linny out to skateboard with them the other day). "I don't know why you don't like him. He's a sheep, yeah, but he doesn't mean any harm," Linny said as he drew on the wall next to his sister.

He was no artist like Rose who drew magnificent drawings on epic scales. Not so long ago she did flooding paintwork of the family camping out on the roof, it really just grew and grew, Linny wasn't sure when she'd finish. He liked how she did his eyes, she made them truly look like emeralds and his strange lightening scar that he got before he was adopted looked awesome in her drawing. It was a shame that Daddy cleaned it off; none of the Cassons were pleased with him and this new Samantha. The point is, he was no artist like Rose but he was really good with charcoal drawings and he was doing a very good one of Rose standing next to Tom.

"He's not Tom," Rose replied.

"No, he's not," Linny agreed. "But he's not trying to be Tom either. He's just trying to be David and you make it hard for him."

Rose glared at her drawing but she didn't argue with him. She knew he was right even if she didn't want him to be. They were soon interrupted by Caddy who wanted to invite all her ex-boyfriends to the wedding. Linny wondered why she'd want that if it was Michael she wanted to marry. The answer came quickly when the engagement ring was stolen by Rose who followed Caddy to London to give it back and ended up in New York (Linny couldn't quite work out how that one happened but he had to spend three very hot stifling nights being squashed by Eve who needed comforting). Caddy came to the realisation that she wasn't ready to marry and they all watched with disappointment and sadness as Michael went off to Europe. It was a good thing he left the engagement ring in Linny's and Rose's care so they could make sure Caddy doesn't find even more new boyfriends.

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The spring where Indigo fell in love with Sarah and they snogged led to the summer where Caddy met Alex – Saffy's boyfriend's older prat brother, and wanted to get married. Only Bill approved of this, everyone else secretly dreamed of flushing Alex's head down the toilet. With Indigo too busy sharing Sarah with Saffy and Eve stuck in the shed and Rose refusing to talk to Caddy for choosing such a prat, Caddy dragged Linny out for a private talk. They decided to walk on the other side of the park where Rose wouldn't follow because it was too spooky for her liking.

"Be honest, Linny Darling, no don't be honest, no do, oh I don't know Linny Darling everyone but Daddy Darling is against this wedding!" Caddy moaned.

"Doesn't that tell you something there?" Linny said.

"Linny Darling, don't confuse me with your cryptic words!"

"You're supposed to be the University graduate; shouldn't you be the cryptic one?"

"Linny Darling! Do not stray I need to know your thoughts on this horrid wedding!"

"I agree with you, it's horrid!" Linny said cheerfully. "You weren't ready to marry Michael so why do you think you're ready to marry a man you barely know a year later? Besides why would you want to marry a man like Daddy, it'll just repeat history and then you'll be raising Saffy's child."

"Linny, Alex is nothing like Daddy! You're just trying to put me off, like the others!"

"Caddy Darling, he was so much like Daddy I thought you were playing a joke on us. He's very mean to me and Rose like Daddy is, you know treating us like we're five year olds and not trying to understand us. And he has very little respect to any of us. I think the bum-patter would make a better husband than a Daddy-Clone!"

Caddy groaned. "What will I do, Linny Darling? What will I do? I can't just leave poor, poor Alex at the altar. And what about the pandas?"

"Why do you care about pandas more than your husband to be? Face it Cads, you don't love this prat. Oh I thought Saffy was the stubborn one, not you! Why can't you see what's in front of your eyes, I'm ten going on eleven and even I know this will only hurt you."

"Oh Linny Darling, you're far too good for me," Caddy cried leaning down to smother her youngest brother in a hug. "I need to think a little before I make my decision but until then let's have some fun before going back to horrible home and horrible nagging family."

"Race you to the park!" Linny shouted pulling away and running before Caddy had a chance.

"Linny!" Caddy squealed running after him.

Linny ignored his eldest sister's calls as he pushed himself to run faster determined to reach the park before her. He looked back to see how far she is behind him and accidentally ran into something. He fell back onto the floor and his glasses flew across the pavement as he groaned. Someone walked swiftly and silently around him and picked them up before passing them to him. His blurry world filled with colour sharpened and became clear as he slipped his glasses on.

Beside him stood a tall dark man dressed in black. His hair was chin length that would have made Bill shudder at the sight – greasy, unclean and not good for the image. He was pale, paler than Indigo, Linny and Rose put together and they were the palest of the Casson clan. His eyes were pitch black and cold there was something just a little enchanting about them as Linny could barely break eye contact with them.

"S-sorry sir, wasn't looking where I was going," Linny said.

"That," the man sneered, "was obvious."

"Thank you for giving me back my glasses, sir," Linny said feeling a mix of awe, fear and anger at the man. He was different and intimidating but at the same time he had no right to be rude when Linny was apologising to him!

"Darling!" Caddy shouted appearing out of breath. "What have we told you and Rose about talking to strangers?"

"Not to?" Lincoln offered as Caddy helped him up and used him as a leaning post. They slowly made the way towards the park. "I just bumped into him Caddy and he helped me find my glasses, it was nothing naughty!"

"Oh, that's ok then but look where you're going in the future," Caddy said.

Linny looked back and to his surprise the dark man had disappeared.

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Caddy left Alex, Saffy and Sarah hi-jacked the carriage and Rose's postcards from Michael were stolen. To top it all off Caddy was nowhere to be found in England and Eve was getting worried. They had managed to make a couple weeks calm and uneventful after Bill finished moaning about all the money he spent being wasted before rushing back to London. Eve calmed down but was still sitting up at night by the phone and Rose got over the postcards when she found the engagement ring wasn't stolen. Indigo and Sarah's relationship was going on strong and Saffy dumped Oscar permanently because Oscar sided with Alex.

It was close to Linny's birthday when it happened. Rose was spending her mornings waiting for the postman to see if she'll get a postcard from Michael or a letter from Tom or now some sort of message from Caddy.

"Any letters for me Mr Postman?" she asked.

"Not today, Rose," the postman said cheerfully, "but there's an odd one for your brother." He passed her the bundle of letters and she looked at the letter on top of the pile. It was in a thick yellow-ish envelope with emerald green curly writing.

_Mr L. H. P. Casson  
the Second Biggest Bedroom  
The Banana House  
Magnolia Road  
Manchester _

The chaos within the Casson household started up again.


	3. Water Colours

_HOGWARTS SCHOOL OF WITCHCRAFT AND WIZARDRY_

_Headmaster: Albus Dumbledore_

_(Order of Merlin, First Class, Grand Sorc., Chr. Warlock, Supreme Mugwump, International Confed. of Wizards)_

_Dear Mr. Casson,_

_We are pleased to inform you that you have a place at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Please find enclosed a list of all necessary books and equipment._

_Term begins on 1 September. We await your owl by no later than 31 July._

_Yours sincerely,_

_Minerva McGonagall  
Deputy Headmistress_

"Well it's obviously a joke," Sarah said flinging the letter onto the kitchen table with disgust. "I don't know why you lot are making such a fuss about it."

"Thank you, Sarah!" Bill cried out.

"We did at first," Saffy said, "but they've been writing to us every day since the first letter. Two days ago our fireplace exploded with them, it took me all afternoon to clean the mess up since some _people_ were too busy to help."

Her younger siblings were far too used to her glares to react. "I think it's lovely," Eve said. "It's not a cruel joke and they have been supplying me with lots and lots of paper for my bonfire with my Youth Offenders."

"Aren't some of your Youth Offenders arsonists?" Sarah asked.

"They are simply misunderstood," Eve said sadly, "Rose sets things on fire more than they do."

"I do not!" Rose shouted.

"I thought we agreed that things just spontaneously combust when Rose is angry?" Indigo said quietly defusing a possible spontaneous combustion if someone argued with Rose.

"Especially Daddy," Linny chipped in with a giggle.

"Yes thank you, Linny," Bill said, "Darlings you mustn't worry yourselves. It's a harmless joke taken a little too far with the fireplace. Eve darling, really a bonfire? Shouldn't you do something a little more legal?"

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"We have a problem," Albus Dumbledore said at one of the hundred billion staff meeting before the school term started. "Harry Potter has not responded to his school letter and I am concerned something has happened. Lily did say that Petunia had an aversion to magic."

There was a loud murmur of mutterings amongst the teachers. Professor McGonagall gave Dumbledore a dark look, scolding him for making the decision of putting Harry in Petunia's care in the first place.

Snape snorted. "I've seen the boy, Albus; he's healthy, safe and very much loved. I'm sure he was just raised the muggle way like you asked and believes it's all a joke."

"Petunia should know to keep the boy informed," Professor Dumbledore said with a frown. It had been heavily implied in his letter to let Harry know about his past. "I think a visit should be in order to make sure the boy knows about his heritage. We should treat this as a case of a new muggleborn. Severus, I'd like you to come with me."

"Joy," Snape said dryly.

"Minerva my dear, will you accompany us as well?"

Professor McGonagall sighed. "I suppose I will. If I don't then Severus will terrify the poor boy into not going and you'll confirm his fears of this school being a madhouse."

Albus' eyes twinkled with humour while Snape scowled. "Now that's settled I believe we should move to the next topic of the meeting, the budgeting."

All the teachers gave a huge groan. They hated budgeting.

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Albus let out a little sigh as he reached the door of the Banana House. He remembered that ten years ago he placed the small child on the doorstep knowing the baby will grow up to be a hero and now he was here to meet the child on the cusp of adult hood. Behind him Snape and McGonagall rolled their eyes.

"Just knock, for Merlin's sake!" Snape snapped.

"Patience, Severus, patience," Albus said with his eyes twinkling. He knocked the door loudly and didn't hear Snape mutter rude things about where Dumbledore's patience can go. The door creaked open and a small girl with blue eyes and tangled brown hair stared up at him. "Hello my dear, my name is Professor Dumbledore. Is your mother and father in?"

"Mummy will be in the shed and Daddy has gone out to buy some food," the little girl said staring at Snape and McGonagall with suspicion. "Your name was on Linny's letter, Daddy will sue you if you keep harassing us," there was some hint of pride in her voice.

"Linny?" Albus said.

"My brother," the little girl said simply.

"There must have been some mistake, I apologise my dear, we're looking for a Harry Potter who hasn't replied to his school letter," Albus said.

"Harry is Linny's middle name. He's adopted," the little girl said. "We keep getting letters addressed to Mr L.H.P. Casson; maybe the P stands for Potter?"

"Casson?" Snape said. "I thought Petunia married a Dursley."

"Petunia?" the girl wrinkled her nose in disgust.

"Your mother," McGonagall said impatiently. "Harry's aunt."

"My Mummy is called Eve, she only has one sister and her name is Linda who died in a car accident and her daughter is now our sister too," the girl said with a frown.

"Rose! What have we told you about telling strangers about my life?" a voice snapped as two girls appeared in the hallway. One was tall, tanned, and blonde with similar blue eyes as the little girl while the other sat in a wheelchair and had brown hair with grey-green eyes. "It's all right to blab about you but I like to have my privacy."

"Saffy, this is Professor Bumblebee he's here for a Harry Potter," Rose said indicating to the elderly man dressed in a plum purple suit.

"Dumbledore, my dear," Albus corrected her.

"Was Linny's old surname Potter?" Rose asked ignoring Albus Dumbledore, something that has never happened in his life before.

"I think so, you'll have to ask Eve, she's got the letter somewhere," Saffy shrugged. "I'll ask her whenever she comes out of the shed."

"Is this about the joke letter?" Sarah asked.

"Ah, you see my dear, the letter isn't a joke," Albus said his eyes twinkling.

"Don't call me your dear, you paedophile! I can have you arrested in five minutes!" Sarah snapped.

"How dare you insult the Headmaster?" McGonagall shouted. "He is a greater man than you can ever dream of and would never touch a hair on his students in such a manner! Why...why..."

"That is enough Minerva," Albus said quietly. Rather touched that his old student cared for him this deeply. "It is perfectly sensible for a lovely young lady who probably has far too many admirers to come up with such a conclusion."

Sarah stuck her tongue out at McGonagall while Saffy rolled her eyes and Rose was now watching Snape with a guarded look in her eyes. "Hey, what's going on? We heard shouting," they looked up to see three boys on the stairs. One was tall, skinny, and pale with dark hair and blue eyes that matched the first two girls while the other tall one was chubby and a little red in the face. The smallest boy had messy black hair and bright emerald green eyes that caused McGonagall's breath to catch in her throat. "The salesmen hasn't insulted you again, has he Sarah?" the tall skinny on said with a quiet amusement that was remarkably like Albus'.

"Sarah was accusing someone of fancying her," Rose said cheerfully. "She does that a lot now that she's dating you Indy."

"Rose! I do not!" Sarah gasped.

"You do," Saffy said, "it's because you're jealous that I'm single, beautiful and far more intelligent than you and you feel the need to create mountains of men that you need to fight off."

Sarah snorted. "Yeah right, I look better than you on a bad hair day and a big zit on the nose."

"Anyway, these aren't salesmen Indy," Rose said cheerfully, "they're the people behind the letter. They want to see Linny."

"Me?" Linny said.

"Yes, you," Albus said cheerfully as Rose. "You see, young Harry, there appears to be some mistake. I accidentally left you on the wrong doorstep-" Snape and McGonagall snorted "- and now you know nothing about your past."

"I thought it was the stork that left Linny on the doorstep?" Rose said. "And he's name is_ Linny_ not Harry!"

"You're not taking him away!" Saffy snapped.

"You left him on a doorstep, what on earth were you thinking? That's child abuse that is!" Sarah half shrieked.

"Headmaster, did you not research Petunia at all? I only said I believe she might live in her childhood home not that she did!"

"Albus, I knew we were wrong to leave him on a doorstep!"

"Why didn't you knock?"

"I'm confused."

"You're always confused David!"

"Hey don't be mean to David!"

"Harry, you're a wizard!"

"WHAT ON EARTH ARE YOU ALL HANGING AROUND THE DOOR GIVING THE NEIGHBOURS A SHOW?"

It had not been Bill's shout that silenced everyone but Albus Dumbledore's claim of Linny having magic. Everyone looked at him with a mix of shock and sceptic.

"Perhaps, we should sit down and have a cup of tea?" Albus suggested.

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After several cups of tea (Eve's, Bill's and McGonagall's all had gin mixed in) Albus Dumbledore explained everything from the general knowledge of the magical world to the growth of Voldemort's power and then finally to the night Harry's parents were murdered. He must say that the Casson family took it all very well, he very much enjoyed that he had to wait for them to stop laughing when he first said Voldemort's name. Eve was a very endearing woman as she asked 'but isn't that a puff pastry?' he only wished the Wizardry world was as bright as this lovely muggle family.

"Again, I do apologise for placing Harry on your doorstep," he said. "His mother and aunt lived her as children and I was under the impression that Petunia still lived here. You see Lily Potter's sacrifice allowed me to use old magic to create blood wards but now it turns out these blood wards don't exist, alas Harry will be in a lot of danger."

"Could you please stop calling me Harry, sir?" Linny said. "I've never been called that, it's always been Linny or Lincoln."

"My apologises my dear boy!" Albus said. "I must say it is an interesting name change but made you decide on it?" he asked Eve and Bill.

"Oh it's my little tradition," Eve said looking fondly at her four lovely, lovely, children while wishing desperately that her eldest daughter was here. "We're artists you see and I have a lovely paint chart with all the colours on it, I pick a colour for all my children. Indigo for his lovely eyes, Saffy was chosen by my sister but it is a yellow, Permanent Rose for her stubbornness and Lincoln for the green eyes."

McGonagall muttered a 'God grief!' when she heard Rose's name. She sincerely hoped that the child wasn't a muggleborn but then again her deepest wishes were never answered,

"Lovely!" Albus said.

"I know!" Eve agreed.

"Hang on, you said blood wards and Linny being in danger," Rose said with narrowed eyes. This better not end up where she thinks it'll end up. "Are you going to take him away from us?"

"Blood wards are the most ancient and powerful wards there are. If Harry – Linny, I mean – were to spend at least a month in the summer with his aunt then he would be untouchable for the forces of darkness," Albus said gently as possible. He detected there was some element of danger in Rose's tone. "He would be safe from Voldemort."

"YOU'RE NOT TAKING HIM!" Rose bellowed. She lunged forward to attack the Headmaster, to get him away from her brother but before she got further than out of her seat Bill grabbed hold of her waist. "LET ME GO DADDY! LET ME GO SO I CAN GET RID OF THIS HORRID, HORRID MAN!"

The living room window shattered and Bill's arm was suddenly on fire. "Rose Darling!" Eve cried out. "What have we told you about setting Darling Daddy on fire?"

"I thought we agreed he spontaneously combusts," Indigo said as he calmly stood up and picked up one of the many fire extinguishers (since it's not just Rose who accidentally sets things on fire, Eve had been known to accidentally create a fire outside the fireplace in the rooms) they had and put his father out. "This isn't good for your blood pressure, Dad," Indigo said with the hint of mischievousness.

"Thank you Indy," Bill said slightly sarcastic as Saffy, Sarah and Linny sniggered at him. "Rose, you do not attack Professor Dumbledore, you will let me deal with it." Rose scowled at him but he ignored it as he turned to look at Professor Dumbledore in the eye, twinkly blue met stormy blue and Professor Dumbledore couldn't help but smile. "I have adopted Lincoln ten years ago, he is my son legally I won't let you take him away because of some magical wards that he obviously didn't need before. Linny stays with us in the holidays."

"I suppose if I even tried to send him to his aunt you would all just hunt him down and bring him back home," Albus said with a bright twinkle. "I am glad you have kept him happy and very much well loved. I hope you can bear parting with your children though, as it appears Permanent Rose is a witch as well."

"Oh that explains so much!" Saffy said.

"I knew my little girl was special," Eve beamed.

"Does that mean I can go to school with Linny?" Rose asked hopefully. She might have won the battle to keeping him with her in the holidays but he'll still be gone during the school term.

"How old are you my dear?"

"I'll be 10 next month," she said proudly.

"Then you will go to school with Harry – Linny – next year. Unfortunately you must be eleven to attend Hogwarts," Rose looked disappointed but she knew she could cope with just one year without her brother. She did it before when she was very little and the Health Visitor argued with Mummy and Daddy. "Now then, I do believe it's time we got your school stuff. Am I wrong to assume that your whole family would like to come with you?"

Albus Dumbledore was not wrong to assume that at all. In a hurry everyone began to hunt for their shoes and coats while gleefully gossiping about what just happened. It took over an hour before they were ready to go since Eve couldn't find her handbag (it was in the oven).

"I must leave you, Albus," McGonagall said. "I have several Muggleborn appointments that must be kept."

"And I have potions to brew for the hospital wing," Snape sneered. "I do hope Mr Potter-Casson that you will not act like your late father and end up there often."

They both disappeared into thin air with the smallest of pops.

"What was that supposed to mean?" Linny asked.

"Merely that your father was a bit of a troublemaker and often ended up injured," Albus said privately pleased that Severus was holding his tongue. Maybe his head of Slytherins will let go of old grudges? He pulled out a large box of lemon drops from his robes. "Now then, please touch this, just a finger or something. It's a portkey and will take us to London."

"What really?" the Cassons asked, half of them excited while the other half (Bill, Saffy, Sarah and Indigo) were sceptical.

They all touched it and within seconds they felt a strange pull at their stomachs and they disappeared.

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Diagon Alley had been one of the best family days out the Casson Family had since the disaster of Swan Lake that had Bill swearing to never take them out again. They all landed in a big mass of arms and legs while Sarah's wheelchair had been left behind which meant Indigo had to give her a piggy back for the whole day (he wasn't complaining and had secretly been using it as a chance to look at her legs). First Bill got into an argument about who'll pay for Linny's school things, insulted that Dumbledore thought they were too poor to pay for them ("it's nothing like that my dear boy, Harry – Linny – has a trust vault for school." "He can save that for his adult life!" "But then he has the Potter Family Vault for when he reaches of age, save your money to spoil your lovely children my dear man.") But once Dumbledore won they were taken to Gringotts where they met Hagrid the gamekeeper who was there on Hogwarts business. He reminded the Casson children of Caddy who had the same enthusiasm for animals as he did.

After getting Linny's money and Bill getting into a long talk with the goblins (Eve patiently waited with a smile on her face as Bill asked all sorts of questions and then requested some of his money to be changed into Wizard money) they split up on Dumbledore's advice. Indigo, David and Sarah went to look at the potion ingredients with a list Dumbledore supplied them so they knew what to get. Bill and Eve went to the bookshop with Dumbledore to pick out Linny's school books and a few extra while Linny, Saffy and Rose went to the robes shop for uniform.

They met a snotty blonde boy that Saffy almost punched if it wasn't for the shopkeeper sending the boy away.

Afterwards they got Linny's wand (Holly and Phoenix feather) and listened patiently to the babble of it being Voldemort's brother wand.

"That shop could have used some paint," Eve said after they all came out in a sombre mood. "It was far too dark, dusty and so very depressing. Oh Linny Darling!" she hugged her youngest son. "Don't despair darling! Phoenixes are wonderful light creatures and it's a good thing you have one, it shows how pure and wonderful you are!"

"Thanks Mummy," Linny said cheerfully clinging to Eve just a little longer.

"Now Linny, it says on your letter that you're allowed a pet and I have discussed this with your mother and we decided you can have one as a birthday present," Bill said changing the topic before anyone could say something that might upset Linny. "If you want a cat I'm sure we can get one from Mrs Levin but if you want an owl or a toad we'll get one now."

"Owls are used for post, aren't they sir?" Linny asked Dumbledore remembering a snippet of the start of the day when Dumbledore told them all about the magical world over a cup of tea.

"Indeed they are," Dumbledore said.

"Then an owl, Daddy, please!" Linny cried out. "I can write lots of letters to you!"

"An owl it is," Bill said looking pleased that he'll have letters from his son to look forwards to.

So they all marched to the Owl Emporium and looked at the owls when Linny decided on a beautiful snowy white owl with amber eyes. After they paid for her and got her much needed supplies Dumbledore led them out of the alley and sent them back home. Sarah had to rush off back home since her mother was expecting her for dinner and David glumly had to go too since his mother left five messages on the answering machine demanding him to go home. Bill too tired to cook ordered Chinese food and the family sat with a fire burning as they talked excitedly about the day they had.

HPHPHPHPHPHPHPHPHPHPHP

"What have you decided to name your lovely owl, Linny Darling?" Eve asked at breakfast the day after Bill went back to London.

"I haven't picked a name yet," Linny admitted.

"Oh let's get the paint chart out!" Eve said excitedly as she pulled the paint chart of its hook and sat down at the table. The owl was sitting on the table looking proud as she ate Saffy's bacon (Saffy abandoned breakfast when the owl started to come too. It's beginning to look like she'll abandoned dinner too and just eat at Sarah's). "How about Ivory?" Eve suggested, the owl shook her head. "Magnolia? Cream? Pearl? Isabelline? Seashell? Vanilla? Oh dear, Linny, she doesn't like any white colour I'm suggesting."

The owl flew to the pile of books that Linny had been reading (and Saffy and Indigo been stealing from). He had only read the first couple chapters of History of Magic and A History of Hogwarts, the History of Magic was left open on the top and the owl tapped her beak at it. Linny ran over and looked over the owl's shoulder.

"She wants to be called Hedwig," he said cheerfully.

"Are you sure that's not Saffy or Rose disguised as an owl?" Indigo asked rather amused.

"Oh, welcome to the family Hedwig!" Eve cried out. "Would you like some more bacon?"

Hedwig hooted happily as she flew over to Eve who was quickly becoming the owl's favourite even if she tried to name her after some splodge of paint.

PRPRPRPRPRPRPRPRPRPRPR

Summer had ended far too quickly for the Cassons. With Caddy still missing and Linny about to leave Eve started to get depressed and went around the house crying much to Bill's annoyance. Bill had come back with the cheerful offer of making Linny leave into a weekend trip, they'll go to London, spend the day at museums, have a wonderful meal, see Wicked (in honour of the magical world Linny is leaving them for) and stay at a hotel for the night.

They did that and enjoyed it immensely until Eve remembered why they were in London in the first place and started to cry again.

It was half past ten at King's Cross and Eve wouldn't let go off him as she cried. "You'll write to me every day, won't you darling?"

"Of course Mummy," Linny said patting Eve on the back.

"And you won't forget us, will you?"

"Of course not Mummy."

"Oh my baby boy, I'll miss you so much! Take care of yourself and remember I'll always, always love you!"

"Eve, you're causing a scene!" Bill hissed.

Eve let go and blew her nose loudly into a hankie while Saffy quickly hugged her brother and threatened bodily harm if he doesn't write. Indigo hugged Linny and gave him his lucky guitar pick and Rose was as bad as Eve as she sobbed her heart out and clung tightly to Linny's neck.

"Everyone's leaving! First Daddy, then Tom, then Michael, then Derek from the camp, then Caddy and now you!" she wailed.

"I'll be back at Christmas, Rosie Pose," Linny reassured her. "And I'll write all the time! I'm not abandoning you like the others."

Bill was a little offended, he never _abandoned_ his family! Just simply needed some space. Once Indigo had pried Rose off of Linny Bill stepped in and gave his youngest son a tight hug. "Take care of yourself and stay out of trouble," he said swallowing. He didn't want to show weakness by crying as well.

"I will Daddy," Linny said hugging him just as tight.

Bill let go and watched as Linny said one last goodbye and ran through the magical barrier to a magical platform that would take him to a magical school. He couldn't quite get his head around it.

HPHPHPHPHPHPHPHP

Linny was on the verge of making friends. He had struggled to get his trunk onto the train but was pleased when he managed it (he really hoped that Eve didn't put her things in there like she did last night) and found a nice empty compartment where he was joined by a redheaded boy called Ron. Later a girl and a boy looking for a toad came in and after Linny helped them find it they all sat down eating sweets together. The girl was called Hermione Granger and she reminded Linny instantly of Sarah and Saffy with her bossy studious personality. The boy was called Neville Longbottom and Linny couldn't help but remember the painfully shy and terrified boy his big brother used to be.

After a while he needed the loo and excused himself. He got a little lost but was very relieved to find the bathroom and to find there was no queue for it. However Linny quickly learned that magic or no magic it was still painful to go to the loo on a moving object. After some struggle he managed it and washed his hands without falling but when he was about to leave the bathroom the train jerked and he more or less fell out of it and on top of someone else.

"Sorry!" he apologised.

"That's no problem, kid," an American accent said.

He sat up and stared in shock at the person he was sitting on. The person looked back with just as much shock in his face.

"Linny?"

"_Tom_?"


	4. Primary Colours

Linny blinked rapidly.

He couldn't believe his eyes. Tom was here. Tom from America was on the train to Hogwarts. Tom Levin was a Wizard. Linny went to pinch himself and grimaced, yep this was definitely not a dream. Tom was here in his usual arrogant grace.

"You're a Wizard?" Linny blurted out. "But you weren't in Hogwarts before! You spent every day out ours!"

"My Gran was teaching me at home," Tom said with a shrug. Tom's grandmother was a witch? No wonder he laughed whenever Rose called her that. "Then because I kept insisting I wanted to be in England my father enrolled me into Hogwarts, which wasn't exactly what I had in mind, I wanted to continue my Muggle studies and spend every day at yours." Who doesn't? Sometimes it felt like a train station the amount of people coming in and out at the Banana House. "What about you Little Linny?"

"Apparently my real name is Harry Potter," Linny said quietly.

"You're kidding?"

"Professor Dumbledore, McGonagall and Snape all seemed very serious. Daddy like serious."

"You had both McGonagall and Snape at your house? You poor thing, they're a student's worst nightmare."

"I think Rose quickly became their worst nightmare when she accidentally set Daddy on fire again."

"Am I expecting her to attend Hogwarts next year?"

Linny looked at him carefully. "You knew she was a Witch," he said.

"I had my suspicions when the windows shattered that time when I announced I was going back to America."

"And you didn't tell us?"

Tom pushed back Linny's long fringe back (he, like Indigo and Tom, had refused Sarah's and Saffy's attempt to cut his hair) and stared at his lightning bolt scar before letting the hair flop back into place. "If I saw this I would have told you," Tom said. "But I didn't. I couldn't be sure if Rose really was a Witch and you weren't prone to accidental magic when I was around. Sorry kid, if I had hard core evidence I would have told you."

Linny nodded. "I believe you but Rose will still be mad at you."

Tom's eyes widened. "What? No! Linny I beg you, don't tell Rose!"

"I can't not tell her, she's my little sister and I'm duty bound to inform her every detail of my life. If I didn't tell her, she would start stealing mobile phones and putting them in my school bag in case my head gets stuck in a toilet."

Tom let out a small snigger. He remembered Indigo telling him about that on one of their trips to the roof. "I'll walk you to your compartment, made any friends?"

"Three," Linny said cheerfully. "Ron, Hermione and Neville. Saffy and Sarah would like Hermione she's very eager to learn."

"Ah speaking of terrifying girls," Tom said quietly as they made their way down the corridor, "try not to let people know your birth name is Harry Potter."

"Why?"

"Because the fan girls are terrifying and you'll never get an hour of peace."

Linny shuddered. If it wasn't the fact that he was raised by girls and had such a cool little sister, he would be using the girls have cooties excuse until he left Hogwarts.

HPHPHPHPHPHPHPHPHPHP

Casson, Lincoln Potter," McGonagall's strict calm voice echoed across the hall.

"Potter? Did she just say _Potter_?"

"Do you think he's related to the _Harry Potter_?"

"Maybe he is Harry Potter?"

Lincoln moved quickly to the stool and sat down. He waited for McGonagall to put the hat on his head, when she did, he couldn't help notice that the hat smelt a lot like Eve's shed. Musty and very odd.

"Well, we can't all smell pine fresh with lots of sweaty little children wearing us, can we?" an amused voice said in his mind. "So you're Harry Potter," the Hat said before Linny could make any reply to him. Linny opened his mouth to correct him when the Hat interrupted him again. "No, no my apologies, you're Lincoln Casson who just happened to be born Harry Potter, but you prefer to be called Linny."

_Stupid hat. I bet if it talked to Rose like that she would set it on fire and there'll be no more sortings, _Linny thought bitterly to himself.

"Oh my, your sister is a rather terrifying girl, isn't she?" the Hat said. "All of them, yes I'm sure Cadmium Gold is a charming young lady but there is something a little alarming about her. Oh she would have made a very good Hufflepuff, your other sister Saffron though would be an example to all Slytherins and Ravenclaws alike. Intelligent, determined, and oh so very ambitious and cunning. And your brother is nothing but the example of Helga Hufflepuff herself. The youngest though, little Permanent Rose. I know exactly where she'll be going and you'll be there waiting for her with open arms in -" he took a deep breath, "- GRYFFINDOR!"

Tom jumped out of his seat and cheered for Linny as he ran down to the Gryffindor table and sat between Neville and Hermione.

He was in the house that valued bravery, wouldn't his family be proud?

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The next morning Linny found Hedwig waiting for him on the breakfast table as she ate off the bacon platter. "Good morning Hedwig," he said cheerfully, his owl replied with a hoot and held her leg out for him. "You were fast," he said. Last night he had written a letter to his family retelling them everything from the moment he stepped onto the train till he put his pen to paper. Hedwig puffed her chest out looking proud. "Thank you Hedwig, more bacon?" Hedwig hooted and took off with a couple slices of bacon after a quick cuddle with Linny.

"Linny," Hermione said looking at him with wide bright eyes, "did you and your owl just have some sort of conversation?"

"Hedwig is very human like, Saffy often says that Hedwig is more human than Indigo in the mornings," Linny said cheerfully as he opened his letter.

_Oh Darling, Darling, _

_I am so proud of you! The house for bravery suits you so very much, I do recall a time where you jumped into the canal to rescue Rose's dolly, not the smartest thing and Daddy was very unhappy with you but it was still very brave. Not to mention all the times you have gone out on a quest in favour of your sister or helped Indigo with his fear of heights despite almost falling out of the bedroom window. Yes, I am not very happy with that either but it was still brave! Well done darling! _

_I miss you terribly my darling and so does your sisters and brother. Marcus, Patrick, Josh, oh no David, my apologies Indigo thank you for correcting me darling, he too misses you and so does Sarah. Bill Darling expects a letter from you soon, so please don't forget darling and – oh Rosie Pose wants to says something. _

**Tell Tom that I'm not speaking to him. And come home soon. **

_Oh Rose! Our poor little Rosie Pose is very angry today, Indigo has put out two fires already! I do hope that going to Hogwarts next year will mean fewer fires because I really don't think I can afford more curtains. _

_Must go darling, Hedwig is getting very impatient now that she has finished her water and I must remember to sort out Rose's school uniform, oh you have done it already Indy? Thank you darling, you are an angel! _

_Goodbye my darling, and be very good and take care of yourself, lots of love_

_Mummy_

**And Rose!**

What are we? Chopped liver? Love Saffy, Sarah and Indigo too. 

Linny couldn't help but grin at his mother's letters. It was so typical of her to forget David's name even if she has known him for over a year now. Tom sat down next to him and yawned dramatically before helping himself to a jug of pumpkin juice.

"Rose says she's not talking to you," Linny told him and couldn't help but grin when Tom dropped the jug.

"What? But that's not fair! I had to keep it a secret it was the law!"

Tom's day continued to get worse while Linny had a very nice day indeed learning about magic, spending time with his new friends and making new ones from the school paintings. Who knew art could be so talkative?

HPHPHPHPHPHPHPHPHPHPHPHP

_Darling Mummy, Rose, Indigo, Saffy, Sarah and David (and Caddy and Daddy if you're there), _

_I have missed you all very much here at Hogwarts, no one really understands being artistic apart from Dean Thomas who is in my dorm with a Seamus Finnegan and Neville Longbottom and Ron Weasley. Dean and I have taken to have drawing sessions together and to discuss different paints, I prefer charcoal still and Dean seems more reliant on pencil sketching more than anything. Hermione Darling does not understand she is too logical and prefers reading all the time but she is still very nice. Ron and Neville prefer playing games like most boys do. _

_I do not know if you have been told but I have made it to the Gryffindor Qudditch Team! I am the youngest seeker in over a century according to Oliver Wood who is the team captain. I did not try out though, I only got the position because Professor McGonagall saw me catch Neville's rememberball (a glass ball that turns red if you have forgotten something I would get one for you Mummy for Christmas but the silly thing doesn't tell you what you have forgotten and it would be better if Indy or Rose just told you instead). Hermione was upset that I got rewarded for breaking the rules but I pointed out to her that Draco Malfoy (a very annoying person, Saffy will remember him we met him in the robes shop, he constantly insults everyone no matter who they are and gets away with it) broke the rules and he didn't get punished at all, and he was the one who started it! Draco had challenged me to a duel, I was not going to accept it because it was at midnight and I have class very early in the morning but Ron accepted it for me and dragged both me and Darling Hermione out, Neville was already out because he forgot the password to our common room and we all ended up being chased by the mean caretaker (I have told you about him in my other letter) we hid in a room and it turned out to be the forbidden corridor! A huge three headed dog was there! I don't think I have ever run so fast in my life, ever! _

_Other than that everything has been all right. I am making friends with the Gamekeeper Hagrid who invites me every week for a cup of tea (don't eat his cooking it's worse than Sarah's), Tom keeps asking for Rose to answer to his emails (did I mention he has a very cool notebook that acts like a magical computer? That's how he communicates to us and America), and Professor Snape keeps acting very mean._

_Lots of love _

_Linny _

**Linny Darling, **

**Mummy Darling says well done on getting onto the team and as much as a rememberball sounds nice it'll only get her worked up. So no thank you. Daddy Darling says he'll be writing to you separately about getting a broom, apparently Professor McGonagall wants to buy it for you because your biological father was her godson (whatever that means) and she wants to treat you just once (but never expect a Christmas or birthday present from her because the broom she wants to buy you is very expensive), Daddy Darling is not happy and wants to buy you a broom himself but not the very good and expensive one that Professor McGonagall wants to get you. Saffy says I shouldn't have told you this because it's supposed to be a surprise. Oh well, you can pretend to be surprised can't you? **

**Tell Tom that I won't speak to him so stop emailing me. **

**Both Mummy and Daddy are upset that you were out at night time and met a three headed dog, they ask for you to keep safe. **

**Michael has come back but without Caddy. He is not speaking to us, he does not look at us if we are near him, and he acts like he does not know us when we try to speak to him. I am very unhappy with him. I am even more unhappy with Caddy who is now in Greece apparently with the turtles and not here with us. **

**My new teacher is evil and I spend Maths plotting to murder him. Ask Professor Snape to lend some poisons. **

**Lots of love **

**Rose**

PRPRRPPRPRPRPRPRPRPR

Linny enjoyed his first couple months at Hogwarts. The lessons were very history, his new friends were very nice, Qudditch was great fun and he got an extra present. Professor McGonagall obviously won against Bill Casson and sent Linny a Nimbus 2000, when he had visited her office to say thank you they ended up having tea and biscuits together as she told him a lot about his biological father. Apparently James Potter was a bit of a troublemaker but was very loyal, smart and had a secret sweet side to him.

Apart from the Troll entering the school nothing exciting happened. He and his friends sat there by the fire eating food from the feast as the older years told horror stories while the professors went hunting for the Troll. Hermione got her payback at Ron (who had been a little rude when she proved him wrong earlier that day) by telling a horrific story about a spider bursting out of someone's back (Rose had nightmares of a similar story last year).

The Qudditch match however was rather terrifying since his broom almost threw him off and he embarrassingly caught the snitch with his mouth. Tom wouldn't let him live it down for weeks on end. He finally got Rose to talk to him again after the match and began to torment her with questions of 'guess what I asked for Christmas?' Linny knew the answer all right, so did Bill who did not like it very much. Bill's letters were becoming odd he kept saying things about London burning out and no longer having the passion for it. Linny wasn't sure what it meant but he hoped it wasn't another Samantha; Eve couldn't cope with another one.

Linny decided focusing on Nicholas Flamel someone who was hiding something in Hogwarts with the three headed dog was better than pondering his father's love life. He was also very excited for Christmas since not only was Tom coming home with him but his friend Ron was too.

"It'll be interesting to see what a Muggle Christmas is like," Ron said excitedly.

"We're not like normal families so don't base all Muggles on us," Linny said cheerfully. "But you'll get to meet my Mummy, Daddy, Saffy, Sarah, Indigo, David, and Rose. Not sure if Caddy is going to be there."

"I don't get it," Ron said, he understood that Sarah and David were very good friends of the family and were practically adopted by the Cassons but he still didn't understand one thing, "Why do you call your parents Mummy and Daddy instead of just plain old Mum and Dad?"

Linny shrugged. "Indigo calls Mummy, Mum. He doesn't see Daddy enough to call him Dad, Caddy still calls Daddy, Daddy though. So does Rose. Saffy calls them Eve and Bill though. I guess I just never thought to call them Mum and Dad, besides Mummy Darling and Daddy Darling sounds so much better than Mum Darling."

Ron nodded, he didn't know why anyone would call their parents darling and just put it down to a Linny thing to do.

"Speaking of darlings," Tom drawled behind them making them jump, "is there a reason why Rose is hiding in one of the classrooms here?"

"What?" Linny frowned.

"I saw her reflection in the mirror but she didn't reply to me when I called her name out, come on I'll show you," Tom said leading them up the stairs and to an abandoned classroom.

There stood a large grand mirror in a gold frame with an inscription on the top reading _Erised stra ehru oyt ube cafru oyt on wohsi. _The classroom had been empty but in the mirror it was far from empty. Rose was there all right but she stood in between Tom and Linny looking cheerful, behind them was Caddy and Michael grinning and looking at one another lovingly. Next to Tom was Indigo playing his guitar to Sarah and Saffy while David looked more confident and able to actually hold a conversation with Saffy who looked warmer and more open to the world. Behind her was two Eves, one of them had a hand on Saffy's shoulder while the other was in near tears, her head resting on Bill's shoulder. Grandpa was there watching them all with keen interest occasionally holding a conversation with someone. Next to Linny though...was a beautiful redheaded woman with his green eyes and a man who looked exactly like him. Occasionally the redheaded woman would rush over to the two Eves and hug them delightedly.

"Bloody hell!" Ron cried out. "I'm Head Boy and Qudditch Captain!"

Tom studied the top of the mirror after hearing that and frowned. "We should go," he said loudly.

"No!" Linny shouted. "I want to stay!"

Tom put a hand on Linny's shoulder. "Whatever you see," he hissed, "will most likely never come true. It's just a dream Linny, don't dwell on it. Come on."

He pulled Linny harshly out of the room not wanting to think about the mirror at all. Ron followed though like Linny he looked back at the mirror before leaving. The three of them were unaware of an invisible old man who had watched the whole scene. He had been about to lock the mirror up when Tom found it and remained curious to see what would happen.

Professor Dumbledore could not be more proud of his Fourth Year Gryffindor who spoke very wisely about the mirror. Whatever it had been that Linny saw in the mirror it brought the most joyful look on his face that Albus had never seen on one person's face. It was such a shame it was nothing but a dream.

HPHPHPHPHPHPHPHPHPHPHPHP

**Oh Linny Darling!**

**You'll never guess what just happened! You'll never guess at all! **

**Caddy is home! She has come home! Michael has proposed to her and they are going to get married again! And they have a baby together! A baby called Carlos Michael Casson but we call him Buttercup (my fault I shall explain when you come home tomorrow!). And Daddy is coming back to live with us forever! I am so happy; I can't wait for you and Tom to come home so we can be a family for Christmas! **

**Love **

**Rose. **

Linny could not help but grin a little darkly, _see Tom; _he thought viciously, _some dreams do come true. _His mother and father and Auntie Linda and Grandpa could never come back from the dead...a sudden revelation of his mother truly being his Mummy's sister would never happen. But some parts...Michael and Caddy back with them, David more confident, Saffy happier...they could happen.

He could make some of his dreams become a reality.

And all he ever wanted was one big happy family.

His family.

The Casson family.


	5. Secondary Colours

"Linny Darling, over here!"

After the long journey from Hogwarts to London, Ron had groaned when Tom led him to a muggle platform for another train trip. The four hour train journey would have been extremely boring if it hadn't been for Tom's constant playing on the guitar. Once they entered Manchester train station though they were welcomed by loud joyful shouting from a large crowd of either blonde or brown haired people.

Ron was a little taken back. He has never met a family as big as his before.

"Oh my baby boy!" Eve cried out as she pulled Linny into a tight hug and pressed kisses all over his face. "I missed you so much, so very much, oh my darling, everyone is home now!"

"Eve, let the poor boy breathe," Bill said noticing his son slowly getting paler. A slight irritation hit him when he saw Rose hugging Tom almost as tightly.

"Oh sorry darling," Eve said letting Linny go. She turned to Ron and hugged him to. "Hello darling, I'm Eve Casson and you are...?"

"Ron," he mumbled a little embarrassed.

"Hello Ron, this is my husband Bill, my daughters Caddy, Saffy and Rose, my other son Indigo, and this is Sarah, David, Michael, and my brand new grandson Buttercup!"

"Isn't that a cow's name?" Linny asked being hugged to death by his sisters.

"Oh no Mummy!" Caddy wailed. "His name is Carlos Michael! Buttercup just stuck because Rose kept chanting it!"

"I thought she got a new hamster," Rose mumbled her cheeks turning bright red causing Tom and Ron to laugh.

"You must show us some magic, Linny!" Sarah said excitedly.

"You'll have to wait till we're at my Gran's for that. The Trace will sense underage magic if it's in a muggle area, besides haven't you been harassing my grandmother already for magic shows?"

"Yes but that's not Linny doing magic! And I have you know I've fed, bathed, brushed, cuddled every cat in that house before she even showed a simple levitating charm!"

While Tom and Sarah complained about cats and the chores they create and everyone else talked about Hogwarts or Buttercup, Bill, Michael, and Indigo suffered silently as they carried the trunks through five streets to the Banana House.

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Ron had to admit that the Casson family knew how to have a good time. The house was always crowded and filled with laughter, occasionally bickering and screaming, and there was always people coming in and out of the house. It reminded him a lot of home and it was nice to have someone who understood what being the youngest son with a younger sister was like. Annoying.

It was a bit of a squeeze in the Banana House, Saffy and Rose shared a room, Caddy moved back into hers and had a cot placed in there for her new born, Eve and Bill shared a room, and all the boys were shoved into one bedroom. David and Indigo unfairly got the two beds while Ron and Linny were stuck on the floor in sleeping bags.

It did not help that Tom and Sarah kept spending the night either. It meant less floor space in the boys' room since Sarah took Rose's bed and Rose demanded to sleep in Indigo's bed.

One morning Ron woke up earlier than the others and rolled round to hide his face from the sun. It shone brightly through the thin curtains and it hurt his eyes. He was a little surprised how close Linny was to him, but then with Tom sprawled out on the floor and Indigo was hogging a corner it was a tight squeeze for the two younger boys.

He was more surprised to see that underneath that floppy fringe of Linny's was a lightning bolt scar...

A lightning bolt scar...

"OH MY GOD!" Ron shouted as he sat up.

Everyone woke up immediately. "Is it another spider, Ron?" David asked sympathetically. They had been woken up in the middle of the night a few days ago because a spider crawled on Ron's face.

"YOU'RE HARRY POTTER!" Ron yelled pointing at a bleary eyed Linny. "I CAN'T BELIEVE YOU'RE HARRY POTTER!"

"Yes," Linny said nibbling his lip nervously. "That is my birth name...but I was adopted and my name was changed to Lincoln Harry Potter Casson. Please don't tell anyone, Tom said the fan girls are terrifying."

Indigo glared at Tom who sniggered a little.

"What are fan girls?" Rose asked.

"Terrifying girls who love you for your skills or fame and try to hunt you down and force you to marry them," Tom explained. "I have many fan girls and they are very scary."

"Good thing I'm going to Hogwarts next year," Rose muttered darkly.

The three older boys suddenly felt very sorry for the Hogwarts female population.

"Ron, please," Linny begged ignoring the mini drama behind him, "don't tell anyone. Not even your own family! I don't want people following me!"

The door burst open and Saffy stood there crossed armed and looking furious. David quickly hid beneath his bedcovers while Tom edged behind Indigo to use him as human shield. "It is ten o'clock in the morning. Who on earth woke me up at this inhuman time?"

Everyone quickly pointed to Ron who stared at Linny dumbly. "I'm best friends with Harry Potter."

"Oh gods, not that Boy Who Lived rot again," Saffy said rolling her eyes.

HPHPHPHPHPHPHPHPHPHP

Ron had sworn on his life not to tell but in return Linny had to tell Hermione and Neville ("because best friends don't keep things like that from one another and Hermione would hex us to hell and back"). He did so, on the train ride back to Hogwarts, Neville was very accepting about it though unsure why Linny would be friends with him, Hermione got very excited and started reciting books until Ron told her to shut up. To keep Hermione distracted on the fact he might have defeated an evil dark lord two months after his first birthday Linny moved on to talk about Nicholas Flamel and the mystery of what could be underneath the trap door.

The next couple months distracted them a lot. First there was the discovery about the Philosopher's stone, some magical stone that could turn things to gold and give you immortal life. Then it was Professor Snape refereeing the Qudditch match and the little confrontation between him and Qurriell in the Forbidden Forest that followed it. And then Hagrid somehow got hold of a dragon's egg. Which magical and very cool but terrifying at the same time.

Then they got detention.

It was all the dragon's fault. They were smuggling it out when they got caught by Filch and sent to McGonagall's. Malfoy had apparently been following them for some time and got caught out earlier; the four of them (Ron got lucky and was in the hospital wing when all of this was happening) were given a detention and lost a lot of points. No one was really talking to them now but Linny really didn't care, he just imagined setting Rose on them and Tom fought by his side and defended him from everyone.

And since Tom was like a god in the Gryffindor Common Room, everyone listened and backed off. Oliver Wood and the Weasley Twins were almost instantly returned to friendly terms with the four young first years.

Linny sighed and swore not to get into anymore trouble.

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_Dear Professor McGonagall, _

_I wish to make a complaint on your disciplinary methods. While I respect the need to discipline my son and his friends for their misbehaviour and breaking the curfew rule, I do not find it necessary to assign a detention AFTER curfew. I do not claim to understand the Wizardry culture but surely it is against the law to send four helpless children into your FORBIDDEN forest. I am distressed to find a letter from Mr Levin disgusted with the fact his young friend had almost been killed on the detention you had assigned him on. If I find the Hogwarts staff to continue such actions I will be forced to pull my son out of school and refuse my youngest daughter the right to attend in the following year. I would also advise the Longbottoms, Weasleys, Grangers, and the Levins the exact same actions. _

_Sincerely, _

_Mr. W. Casson. _

**Dear Mr Casson, **

**I assure you that I did not know the intentions of Mr Hagrid when he requested to oversee the detention of Mr L. Potter-Casson, Mr N. Longbottom, Miss H. Grangers, and Mr D. Malfoy. The teaching staff has agreed to your requests and prevent any more detentions in the Forbidden Forest with Mr Hagrid after curfew. I also assure you that your son is both physically and emotionally fine and there was no permanent damage. It is not necessary to pull your son out of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry nor is it necessary to keep your daughter from attending in the following fall. We look forwards to your daughter's attendance and son's return in September. **

**Sincerely, **

**Professor M. McGonagall **

**Deputy Headmistress of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. **

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It was the final day of the exams when everything had clicked into place. How did Hagrid get hold of the one thing he desired more than anything else? Hagrid had cheerfully told Linny it was his heart's desire to have a dragon when they first found out he had an egg. Isn't it odd that someone just happened to have one in his pocket when something is being protected at Hogwarts?

Professor McGonagall was no help at all and the four First Years were lost at what to do. "Hey, Linny, why so green?" Tom asked as he appeared beside them, guitar in his hand. "There's no more exams, you should be grinning not scowling."

"Tom, there's a giant three headed dog on the forbidden corridor it's guarding a stone that can turn things to gold and give you immortal life. Hagrid accidentally told the bad guy how to get past Fluffy – that's the three headed dog – and we're convinced Voldemort or Professor Snape is going after it. Professor McGonagall won't listen to us and Dumbledore has left the school, and we have no idea what to do!"

Tom blinked. "I knew it would be a bad idea of having a Casson at Hogwarts. Honestly years of peace and then you turn up and Voldemort is about to steal something from Hogwarts."

"Tom! Help us or I'll tell Rose!"

"Ok, ok, chill out," Tom said quickly. "We'll stake out the third floor and make sure nothing happens this afternoon, all right?"

"But how?" Hermione asked. "The teachers are bound to notice us."

"I have the best disguise in the world," Tom said holding up his guitar, "come along little firsties, let's party."

They camped out in front of Fluffy's door and Tom distracted them by playing random songs on his guitar. He started off with a couple nursery rhymes, and then moved on to the likes of the Beatles and Bob Dylan before making up a couple of his own songs, one for each of the first years. He was in the middle of his version of the Hogwarts school song when Snape appeared out of nowhere.

"I see you have inherited your father's disregard with the school rules, Mr _Potter_," Professor Snape sneered. "Unless you are such an imbecile that you do not realise this corridor is the forbidden corridor."

Tom laughed. "Mr Potter-_Casson _has likely inherited his mother's disregard with school rules since Mr Casson is a total stick in the mud. Seriously, Sev, there's something stuck up his-"

"Five points off Gryffindor each," Professor Snape said swiftly preventing Tom from finishing his very rude sentence. "And it is Professor Snape, Mr Levin, I hope you enjoy writing because you will be practising your handwriting as you copy I use the correct titles when addressing my elders, five hundred times tonight."

"You know I'm your favourite," Tom grinned.

"Arrogant child," Snape muttered, "go back to your Common Room before I decided to take fifty points off for being annoying."

The children fled quickly, Tom was laughing.

"I can't believe you said that to Snape!" Ron said with hero worship in his eyes.

"Sev isn't that bad, he reminds me a lot of Bill, only he really doesn't care what people think about him," Tom said ruffling Ron's hair. "I don't think he's after the stone though, he's Dumbledore's bitch through and through."

Hermione and Neville looked scandalised, Ron gasped slightly and Linny didn't batter an eyelid, he was too used to Rose's foul language to be shocked. While Snape might be a good guy that doesn't mean Voldemort is too. The moment Tom had headed up to his dorm to put his guitar away and write his lines for Snape, Linny turned to his best friends.

"I'm going after the stone tonight."

HPHPHPHPHPHPHPHPHPHP

"Oh my poor baby! My darling little boy! How could this have ever happened to my little angel! I thought this school was supposed to be safe and now he's dead!" Eve wailed.

"Eve Darling, be sensible," Bill said feeling a headache coming along. "Linny is not dead, just exhausted and in need of a few days sleep. Though I agree with my wife, isn't this school supposed to be safe? First that abysmal detention and now this!" Bill snapped glaring at Professors Dumbledore, McGonagall, and Snape.

"It is not our fault that your son ignored school rules and put his life in jeopardy," Snape sneered. "You should thank Mr Levin for that fact your son is still alive, the moment he realised Mr Potter and his friends were missing he had come to me and Professor McGonagall. Unfortunately we were too late to prevent a confrontation between Potter and the Dark Lord but we saved him from being completely dead."

"Completely dead?" Eve cried out.

"Severus, you are not a comfort to poor Mrs Casson, I ask you to keep your peace or say nothing at all," Professor Dumbledore scolded gently. He placed a hand on Eve's arm, "my dear, you have nothing to fear, young Harry is doing fine, he is after all a fighter like both of his parents." He guided Eve into the Hospital Wing where Linny was sleeping peacefully, Ron was a couple beds away with a bandage wrapped round his head and Neville and Hermione were sleeping opposite completely unharmed. "You see my dear, completely unharmed."

Eve took a shaky breath of relief. "He looks so innocent sleeping," she sniffled; she accepted Dumbledore's offer of a handkerchief and blew her nose into it loudly.

"Looks can be deceiving," Snape and Bill muttered. "How can I allow my son to return in September?" Bill demanded louder.

"I assure you Mr Casson that this does not usually happen in Hogwarts. It was a very rare and strange circumstances that caused such an incident. Hogwarts will be safe for both Harry and Permanent Rose next year," Professor Dumbledore said calmly. "I will make sure of it."

"Lincoln," Bill corrected, "my son's name is Lincoln. And you better make sure it's safe or I'll find a personal tutor if I have to."

He pushed past Professor Dumbledore and joined his wife beside Linny. Eve took her son's hand and squeezed it tight as she murmured that little magical chant Indigo used when Rose was ill.

Professor Dumbledore almost cried at the loving sight of a family. He was so glad that Harry was being raised by such loving people. Professor McGonagall looked suspiciously tearful herself while Professor Snape just sniffed in disdain.

The next day Lincoln woke up to find out he was grounded for a month.

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Gryffindor won the House Cup thanks to Linny, Neville, Hermione, Ron, and Tom, they had all won fifty points each apart from Tom who won ten for 'having the courage to tell the truth no matter the consequences', Tom claimed it's the most points he had ever won in his school career. They had also come third in the Qudditch tournament too thanks to Tom's flying skills.

"I was the Gryffindor seeker until you came along and stole my spot," Tom teased.

The journey back was tiring as people kept coming in and asking if what happened was true. By the time they got to King Cross Linny couldn't wait for a summer's peace. He quickly wrote down his phone number and passed it to his friends before being dragged away by Bill who was still lecturing him. The journey back to Manchester became equally tiring as Bill continued to lecture him until they reached the Banana House.

"Fluffy?" Rose said looking horrified and disgusted as Linny recounted what really happened in his school year. "Who on earth would name a three headed dog Fluffy."

"Says the girl who called her nephew Buttercup," Saffy said snidely.

"I thought it was guinea pig!" Rose shouted before throwing a cushion at a laughing Sarah.

A pillow fight soon broke out and Bill came in to shout some more at them.

"All I can say is thank god for Tom," Indigo said as they were cleaning up the feathers. "If it wasn't for him going to the teachers you might have been dead."

"Who'd ever thought Tom Levin would be so sensible?" Saffy smirked.

"Ew," Rose said scrunching her nose up in disgust. "Tom would never be sensible like Daddy."

They all laughed at the mental image of Tom dressed like Bill and lecturing them all to be sensible.

"I don't hear any cleaning going on," Bill shouted from the kitchen.

HPHPHPHPHPHPHPHPHPHP

A few weeks into the summer Linny had a sinking feeling that someone was watching him. Sometimes he even caught a glimpse of large green eyes in the bushes but often dismissed it as the heat affecting his mind. He was beginning to get anxious when Ron, Neville and Hagrid won't reply to his letters. Hedwig had come back angry and slightly ruffled; Indigo had to cook bacon three weeks straight before she stopped sulking.

"Why aren't you replying to Ron and Neville's letter, Linny?" Hermione asked over the phone one day. "They keep complaining to me."

"Me? Me not replying to their letters? It's them that's not replying to mine! I sent out dozens and Hedwig came back very, very angry, Daddy angry almost, so it's obviously them that's not talking to me!" Linny snapped down the phone.

"That doesn't make sense!" Hermione cried out. "Ron and Neville have been writing to you almost daily. Ron has been inviting you to his house for two weeks straight now!"

"Then whose got my letters?"

"I don't know Linny, I'll f-"

"Mr Harry Potter sir!"

"AH!"

Linny dropped the phone as a small creature with giant ears and big green eyes appeared in a large crack beside him. "Linny? Are you there? Linny what happened?" Hermione's voice could be heard from the receiver that was hanging on the cord.

The creature quickly made scissors appear out of thin air and cut through the cord quickly. "What did you do that for?" Linny shouted.

"Mr Harry Potter sir must not go back to Hogwarts," the creature said, "Dobby will make sure of it. If Mr Harry Potter sir goes to Hogwarts he will end up killed. Dobby must make Harry Potter sir think no one wants him at Hogwarts and then maybe he will stay here where it is safe."

"It won't be safe if Daddy saw what you did to the phone!" Linny wailed. "Rose got such a telling off for breaking the last one! And what do you mean if I think no one wanted me?"

The creature looked nervous and guilty. "Well...Dobby..." he twisted on the grimy pillow case he was wearing. "Dobby took all your letters away!" he wailed before trying to bash his head against the wall. "Bad Dobby! Bad Dobby!"

"Dobby, I'll forgive you if you give me my letters back!" Linny shouted quickly hoping it'll stop the creature from hurting himself.

"Only if Harry Potter promises not to go back to Hogwarts!" Dobby squealed.

"I can't! If I try to bunk off school Saffy will just drag me there by the ear."

He knew this because he tried bunking off school once with Rose. They were both dragged there by the ear as Saffy relentlessly lectured them.

"Then Dobby cannot give Harry Potter sir his letters!"

Linny lunged at Dobby ready to grab hold off him when Dobby leaped out of the way and started a run out of the living room. "Get that Dobby!" Linny shouted. "He's got my letters!"

Rose made a run for Dobby but Dobby kept evading her. Saffy charged out with a frying pan and Sarah tried to run him over in her wheelchair. Dobby was too quick and fast for them, Linny was sure he was using magic against them!

The front door opened, Dobby moved to escape, Bill came in, "Honey I'm ho-" the three girls and Linny charged at Dobby who had stumbled into Bill. Linny fell on top of Dobby and Bill, groaning as he felt both Rose and Saffy fell on top of him, everyone groaned as Sarah threw herself on top of them all. Looking up Linny cringed as he saw Bill's face turn bright red.

"WHAT ON EARTH IS GOING ON HERE?"


	6. RoseTinted Glass

As usual the staff meeting at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry landed on the usual topic of Harry Potter – or Lincoln Casson as he preferred to be called – and his small group of friends.

"We need to encourage them to fulfil their potential," Professor Sprout said passionately, "Mr Longbottom has a green thumb that is rare in children, Miss Granger is the brightest student of the year, Mr Potter-Casson is naturally gifted, and Mr Weasley simply needs encouragement in general!"

"I agree," Professor McGonagall said, "Mr Weasley, especially, needs encouragement. He is a bright boy, his talents in chess prove he can see the bigger picture and yet he needs Miss Granger to do his homework. I suspect it is his brothers' influence, those Weasley twins take their jokes too far."

"So did a certain other group of Gryffindors and yet I recall you did nothing about it," Snape said silkily. "I am sure the boy will come out in his own after he has failed his first attempt at OWL year. The Granger girl does not need any encouragement as she is insufferable already. I see no exceptional talent in either the Longbottom boy or Potter, so must we continue to argue about this?"

There was a sudden roar of shouts and insults thrown at Snape's way in an attempt to defend the four children. Professor Dumbledore held up a hand and said quietly, "enough," and a hush of silence fell at the table. "Severus is somewhat correct, we must not encourage the children so publicly. After all we have hundreds of other children in need of our attention, and they are all equally special."

"But Albus, Mage Sight!" Flitwick moaned. "Mr Potter-Casson is extremely talented in one of the rarest magical gifts! To see and feel magic like that..."

"Harry's successful flight in your challenge guarding the stone was indeed magnificent, Filius," Albus said, "but he is an artist and his own art work will teach him to see magic better than any of us could. Miss Granger does not need any encouragement to be logical, in fact I believe she needs to be encouraged to be imaginative. Mr Longbottom has access to some of the best greenhouses at home, Pomona, so there is no need to do anything but answer any questions he asks. As for Mr Weasley, perhaps you should encourage him to join the chess club, Minerva, he could shine above his brothers in that area of intellect. Are we all agreeable?"

The teachers all murmured their agreement though some were still glaring at Snape.

"Very well then," Professor Dumbledore said picking up a piece of parchment, "now to our next agenda, budgeting."

Everyone groaned, did everything have to go back to budgeting?

HPHPHPHPHPHPHPHPHPHPHPHP

Dobby has never felt so terrified, humiliated, and in awe in his entire life. Here he was in the Harry Potter presence tied up to a chair while being surrounded by terrifying muggles. It was humiliating that muggles managed to capture a House Elf and it was terrifying because they used growling voices and dark glowing looks.

"All right Leprechaun," the tall golden one growled, "fess up. Who are you working for?"

"I is not a leprechaun. I is a House Elf, Miss, I do all the cleaning," Dobby said indignantly.

"And that's better than being a leprechaun?" the one in the chair with wheels said in a rather offensive disbelieving tone. "At least leprechauns have gold and not used as slaves."

"Leprechauns make false gold," Dobby said. "Dobby is not a liar. Dobby is a good Elf. Dobby only wants to protect Harry Potter from Master's bad plans – no! Bad Dobby! Bad Dobby!" Dobby struggled against the rope as he tried to throw himself onto that sharp pointy knife that was just laying there. "Bad Dobby! Bad Dobby! Bad D-"

"SHUT UP!"

Dobby bit his tongue and gasped loudly as he stared in horror at the whole strange family shouting him. Well all the girls and the old man did, wonderful Harry Potter sir stayed quiet and looked at him with such pity! Oh Harry Potter is too kind and thoughtful and selfless!

"Harry Potter is in danger. He must not go back to Hogwarts. Dobby must go."

With a click of his fingers Dobby vanished from the chair and he cackled delightedly as he heard that horrible family scream after him.

Eve must have forgotten that the cheese had gone off. It is the only explanation, Linny and Indigo ate bad cheese and was now hallucinating. After all there is no other reason for three redheaded boys in a flying blue car would be outside their bedroom window.

"Ron...how...what...why...am I dreaming?" Linny spluttered.

"Magic, you didn't reply to my letters and I thought you needed to be rescued, and no you're not dreaming," Ron said calmly.

"Linny, tell your friends to stage a rescue mission when it's not three o'clock in the morning," Indigo moaned. "And also tell them the only thing you need rescuing from is Rose's cooking."

"What's wrong with my cooking?" Everyone jumped as Rose appeared just like magic beside Indigo's elbow. "A flying car!" she squealed. "That's the coolest thing I ever seen, can I drive it?"

"NO!" Linny and Indigo shouted.

Rose scowled. "What exactly is wrong with my driving?" she asked.

"The fact you don't know how to drive?" Indigo said.

"I'd do a better job than Caddy," Rose declared.

"Rose how could say something so horrible!"

They turned to see Caddy bouncing a sniffling Buttercup. They hadn't realised they've been so loud then again they had all become so used to Buttercup crying in the middle of the night that they just ignored it and continued to sleep.

"Hi Caddy," Ron said pleasantly, "So Linny doesn't need rescuing?"

"Only from strange elves who think Linny is in trouble," Caddy said, "and hello Ronald, and two boys who look exactly like one another."

"Fred Weasley and this is my twin," Fred said flirtatiously with a wink.

"She's engaged," Linny, Indigo, Rose and Bill said.

"Daddy, why are you here?" Linny asked jumping a little.

"It's a little difficult to sleep with all this racket. I admire your mother's ability to sleep through an earthquake. Now tell me what exactly is going on."

"Fred, George, and Ron think I need rescuing," Linny said.

"Magical people," Bill muttered darkly, "are not sensible at all."

A quick letter to Mrs Weasley sent through Hedwig and a rummage for the very much used sleeping bags meant the youngest boys from the Weasley family were guests at the Banana house...

And for some reason there was a Ford Angelia parked on the roof. Bill told the neighbours it was not real art laying the blame on Eve.

The Casson family were woken up about five hours later by a screaming Mrs Weasley. It took Bill half an hour to charm her into silence. The Weasley and Casson children were equally horrified as Mrs Weasley giggled at Bill's every word. After another couple hours and a helping of Indigo's banana pancakes they had agreed for the Weasley boys to stay at the Cassons for the rest of the holidays. They'll meet in the last couple days with the Grangers and Longbottoms to get the school supplies and stay at the Leaky Cauldron before making their journey to King's Cross for the Hogwarts Express.

The next few weeks of summer holiday were brilliant. They practised magic at Mrs Levin's while helping take care of the cats, Bill took them to a variety of museums, cinema trips, and once to Alton Towers (much to Indigo's horror), while Eve treated them to proper camp fires and smores, the Casson children and Ron taught the Weasley Twins how to use Muggle technology, and the Weasley Twins taught them how to prank.

On top of that they went to Sarah's Mum's party and had a small one themselves for Rose's eleventh birthday. They then had a little farewell party since Bill would escort the Weasleys, Linny, and Rose to London by himself. Caddy and Eve cried buckets, Michael brought over some gag gifts like a wizard's costume and witch doll, Sarah and Saffy briefly flirted with the Weasley twins but never went further "after all you two are far too much young, you never take anything serious when it comes to school work, and I am with Indigo anyway", and they all ended up on a sugar high (much to Bill's horror).

Bill was quite happy when the end of August came.

"Oh Linny, this is my little sister Ginny, Ginny this is Linny and Rose Casson," Ron said quickly after escaping his mother's clutches.

"You look just like how Harry Potter should!" Ginny blurted out with a blush.

"Err...right," Linny mumbled blushing lightly himself.

Rose gave Ron a very dark look causing the redheaded boy to pale rapidly. "Ginny why don't you stop creeping my brother out and tell me something interesting," Rose said pulling the girl away from her brother.

"Sorry about that. I didn't say anything to her but she's obsessed with the whole Boy-Who-Lived story and she'd seen a photo of your parents and...Well you know," Ron whispered to Linny.

"It's ok," Linny said reassuringly.

"Linny! Ron!" The two boys were suddenly engulfed by Hermione. "Oh I have missed you two so much. Mum, Dad, I want you to meet two of my best friends Linny Casson and Ron Weasley. Oh have you seen Neville yet? He did write that he might not make it but I was hoping he would anyway."

"Breathe Hermione," Ron laughed, "Neville wrote to Mum this morning. He can't make it but he says hi and will see us on the train."

"That's a shame, I had hoped to meet the final member of your little group," Mrs Granger said.

"Perhaps its best if we separate into little groups," Bill said, "I will take Rose and Ginny to buy their First Year supplies. Mrs Weasley could supervise the Twins, while the Grangers keep an eye on the Second Years. We'll meet at the bookshop."

"Oh can I get an owl, Daddy?" Rose asked.

"No. You can barely keep yourself alive, let alone a little creature, besides didn't I get you all those magical paints for your birthday?"

They all agreed and parted into their little groups, Rose dragging her feet and pouting. The Grangers watched amused as Hermione, Linny, and Ron joked around and talked about everything and anything under the sun and moon while picking out their parchment and ink, refilling their potions supplies, and so on. They even enjoyed the ice cream despite the sugar content.

They met outside of the bookshop and Mr Granger was irritated by the idea of this Gildroy Lockhart. He was pleased to see that all the other males had the same sentiment apart from Bill Casson who kept nodding his approval and muttering about proper image. Rose edged closer to Linny and further away from Ginny.

"All she would talk about was you or some Qudditch team, it was irritating, Molly-pop is more interesting than her," Rose murmured as Lockhart regaled how wonderful he is and what he would teach at Hogwarts.

"Be nice," Linny muttered.

"I am!" Rose hissed. "Are you not going to ask me about my new wand?"

"What about it?"

"Hazel with a Hungarian Horntail heartstring, Ollivander said it was his most temperamental and witch-like wand," Rose said smugly.

Linny snorted and watched amused as Mr Weasley and Mr Malfoy suddenly started a fist fight.

Linny was sore and hurt all over.

He was woken up early to have breakfast and struggle with his trunk to get it into the taxi and out onto the trolley. They were very late because the Twins played a prank on Percy and Mrs Weasley spent two hours and a half screaming at them. Mr and Mrs Weasley went through the barrier first with Ginny, then the Twins, then Percy, then Hermione and Rose, Linny and Ron were about to go through the barrier when they suddenly crashed through a very hard wall.

"Linny, Ron, what happened? Why have you suddenly caused such a ruckus? Aren't you supposed to have gone through the magic wall?" Bill asked worriedly as he helped the boys up and struggled to get their trunks up on the trolley. They were lucky that Bill convinced Linny to let Hedwig fly to Hogwarts or they would have even more problems. "You're going to miss the train!"

"What are we going to do?" Ron asked panicky.

Linny thought of Floo powder and how it worked. Ron had been explaining it a few days ago after Linny showed him how to use a phone. "We could go back to the Leaky Cauldron and use the Floo to call Professor Dumbledore," he suggested.

On the way back to the Leaky Cauldron Ron explained how to use Floo to Bill. When they got back Bill had to pay to use it and managed to talk to Professor McGonagall for ten minutes. He came back with some juice for the boys and promised them a teacher will come and pick them up in an hour's time.

After exploring Diagon Alley for a little they came back to find Snape of all people waiting for them.

"You persist on becoming the most irritating person in my life, Mr Potter," Snape sneered, "you do become more and more like your father each day."

Linny looked horrified and pointed to Bill. "I'm like him? Oh kill me now before I tell you that potion making isn't really art."

"Lincoln!" Bill hissed.

Snape smirked and herded the boys towards the fireplace. "Perhaps you will exceed your adoptive father when it comes to arrogance. Now move along before I put Gryffindor into negative points."

Rose was furious with her brother.

He had promised her that he would sit with her on the train and introduce her to other members of his year. Instead he bloody abandoned her on a bloody train with bloody witches and wizards who she didn't bloody know. Worse of all she was sitting next to bloody Ginny Weasley who could be quite nice if it wasn't the fact she fancied Rose's bloody brother. Bloody, bloody, bloody hell!

"Ah there you are Permanent Rose!" Tom said jumping into her compartment. "I was looking for you and Linny, speaking of the little midget with glasses, where is he? Not the toilet again, I hope, oh and this girl here is Luna, I saved her from some bullies and thought she would benefit from some Casson insanity."

Luna was a very pale girl. She had pearly pale skin, pale blue eyes, washed-out blonde hair, and pale clothing. Rose had a sudden desire to make her colourful...blood red first if Luna didn't let go of Tom's hand any time soon.

To her surprise Luna stared at her with very sharp piercing eyes as if she knew exactly what Rose was thinking. She then dropped Tom's hand and smiled warmly at Rose, "Hello Permanent Rose, my name is Luna Lovegood," she said in a dreamy tone, "Hello Ginny, it is nice to see you again."

"Hi Luna!" Ginny beamed.

"You two know each other?" Rose asked.

"We live in the same village," Luna explained, "You have a very nice drawing there."

Rose looked down at her lap. She was attempting to draw Hogwarts (again) using what Linny told her as the only source. The castle itself looked rather bad but the drawing of Linny, Ron, Hermione, Neville, Rose, and Tom was turning out all right. "Thanks. Do you draw?"

"Sometimes. I do animals very well and working on how to do people," Luna said, "I want to paint my best friends faces on my bedroom walls when I go home in the summer."

"I paint on the walls too!" Rose said happily. "Only Daddy keeps cleaning them and painting over them and I get bored if I keep the same drawings on all the time. The kitchen was once a huge flood memorial, my whole family was on the roof on the house, well apart from Daddy because he was in London with Samantha at the time so I painted some sharks and pretended he had been eaten. But he's back now with Mummy and he's not that much of a prat now."

"How odd," Tom smirked, "you don't seem bored of that Lancelot drawing of me that you have on your bedroom wall by your bed."

Rose's cheeks turned the faintest pink. "It's gone now. I have plans for a Hogwarts picture to be there instead."

"Right, I believe you Rosie Pose hey back to before, where the hell is Linny?"

Rose shrugged and decided she would be angry later. Right now she wanted to talk about art to her new friend Luna and listen to Tom play on his guitar. It turned out to be quite a nice journey as Luna and Rose talked about art and magical creatures and Ginny sat quietly on her own writing in a small black book.

_Aha, so you are Permanent Rose Casson...now as I've told your brother you have many qualities that the founders would love. You're fiercely loyal, rather intelligent, and damn sneaky too, but there is only one house an adventurer like you should be in and that's..._

"GRYFFINDOR!"

Rose jumped off the stool and marched over to Linny. She smacked his arm and turned away showing she wasn't talking to him.

"I'm sorry Rose!" Linny cried out quietly. "The barrier at King's Cross closed on us and we were stuck in the Muggle world. Daddy got Snape of all people to take me and Ron to Hogwarts."

"You are just lucky that I made friends with someone today," Rose grumbled. She groaned when the Sorting Hat sorted Luna into Ravenclaw. The blonde girl smiled sadly at her and gave her a little wave.

"Is that her?" Linny asked.

"Yes, she is a pureblood that lives near the Weasleys with only her Daddy, she paints, writes, and likes magical creatures," Rose said happily.

"She seems nice," Linny said as he passed the platter of chips to Rose. Chips were one of Rose's favourite foods. "Gryffindor always has History of Magic, Transfiguration, and Charms with the Ravenclaws so you'll be in three classes with her."

Rose beamed. "Linny, I just realised something," she said happily.

"What is it?"

"We can eat normal food like Sarah for a whole year! I love Hogwarts already!"


	7. Gryffindor Gold

Linny, Ron, Neville, and Hermione sunk into the soft sofas and sighed in relieve. Tom looked up from his guitar and grinned at them.

"Don't tell me you've found some horrifying monster and need to save the school _again_? It's only the first day of school!"

"No we haven't," Hermione sniffed, "we just had a tiring day in classes."

"I don't know Hermione, Lockhart is rather horrifying and he certainly as enough teeth to be a monster," Ron said.

"Yeah and we did have to save ourselves from those pixies," Neville mumbled as he rubbed his ears. He had one of the worst classes so far and he suffered Snape's potions classes. "I think my ears are stretched."

Tom gave the boys a sympathetic look while Hermione defended the most stupid teacher that Hogwarts has seen. "We had Lockhart this morning," a dreamy voice said from behind him, "he was infested with wrackspurts. They make your brain fuzzy and they are very attracted to pretty people, so I would protect yourself if I were you Thomas."

"Tom," Tom corrected the blonde First Year, "And you must be Luna Lovegood."

"There's no such thing as wrackspurts!" Hermione cried out.

"Now Miss Granger," Tom scolded mockingly, "if you were to believe everything written in a textbook you would be deprived of an imagination. Soon you shall be telling me that there is no such thing as aliens! If you can believe Lockhart's bullshit then you can believe anything."

Hermione did not look impressed while the boys and Rose laughed. "How was your first day?" Linny asked Rose once their laughter died down.

Rose shrugged. "Defence was a joke, Charms was interesting, Transfiguration was all right but Professor McGonagall reminds me too much of Daddy, I did some nice drawings in History, and I had the rest of the afternoon off which I used to explore the grounds with Luna, Ginny, and Colin."

"Where is Ginny?" Ron asked.

"Writing in her diary," Rose said.

"Excuse me," a pompous voice joined them, "but what is a Ravenclaw student doing here in the Gryffindor common room?"

Everyone turned to see Percy looking a lot like Mrs Weasley when she arrived at the Banana House to tell Ron and the twins off. "She's my friend," Rose said fiercely, "I invited her."

Luna almost glowed with happiness.

Percy just scowled. "It is against the r-"

"Actually according to Hogwarts A History there is no rule about Houses intermixing in different common rooms. In fact it has been encouraged by the teaching staff and there has never been a rule against other students being in other common rooms. In fact there is a clause in the Hogwarts guidelines that if a family member was in another House but suffered from personal problems they can spend the night in their relative's Dormitory no matter which House it is in. During the past war that clause had been used often due to the severe losses while the feud between Gryffindor and Slytherin had gotten so bloodthirsty that all mixed house relations were cut off. Therefore Luna has every right to be in this room."

Luna shot Hermione a grateful smile and Hermione couldn't help but blush and smile in return. She may not share Luna's beliefs but she couldn't let two friends be separated from each other because of being in different Houses. Also Rose is sadly the closest to a female friend Hermione has got and if Hermione wanted female friends she should start being more outgoing and have their backs against the likes of Percy Weasley.

"Besides Percy take a look round you," Ron yawned, "there's more people from other Houses here than there are Gryffindors."

Percy flushed a deeper red as he noticed his youngest brother was correct. Not only were there many Hufflepuff and Ravenclaw students hanging out with their friends but Marcus Flint was sitting with Oliver Wood as they bickered about Qudditch.

"Come on Luna, let's leave this prat and go up to my room," Rose said, "I could show you my drawings I've started on the wall."

"Miss Casson!" Percy roared. "Not only do you show disrespect for an elder – but a prefect too! – I shall have words with Professor McGonagall about you! She will be very displeased to hear about you graffiti-ing the girl dormitories!"

Rose ignored him as she talked to Luna about Colin Creevey, a fellow First Year Gryffindor, who was apparently a fellow artist though he only took photos instead of drawing.

"Don't bother Percy," Linny said tiredly, "Daddy has forever been trying to make Rose be polite and he always fails. You should hear some of the things she calls Daddy to his face let alone behind his back."

Both Hermione and Percy looked scandalised that someone could speak so horribly to a parent while Ron and Neville half wished they had Rose's bravery to do something like that and Tom just laughed.

"He's also cleaning her paintings off the wall," Tom chortled, "I don't know why he bothers. Not only are they better than any of his paintings but she just takes it as a challenge and starts a new one."

There was a stony silence amongst the group as Hermione and Percy scowled at Tom and the others decided that maybe they should do their Herbbiology homework and avoid Hermione's wrath.

Tom began to play on his guitar again and eventually he began to sing. "_Hogwarts, Hogwarts, Hoggy Warty, Hogwarts, meet Permanent Rose please, whether you're old and baldy, or young with scabby knees, she'll bash your heads in and teach you something, you'll have your horizons broadened, she'll make you feel like dead flies and bits of fluff, but hey! She's got a cute smile!_"

HPHPHPHPHPHPHPHPHPHPHPHPHP

"Miss Casson," Professor Dumbledore said surveying the scowling child over his glasses. "Do you know why you have been brought here?"

"No," Rose growled causing the portraits to mutter darkly.

"Well then, Miss Casson, I must enlighten you," Professor Dumbledore said, "while I do admire your artistic talent I am afraid that it is not looked upon kindly by the fellow staff members. Poor Mr Filch is trying desperately to clean your art work off the walls, the teachers view it as graffiti, and the dear Fat Lady guarding your common room does not enjoy having a moustache inked onto her face."

Rose struggled not to laugh. The recent one had not been her but Tom who disliked the Fat Lady's singing and claimed she should be a male opera singer but she wasn't going to get Tom into trouble. She settled for more scowling. "I like to paint on walls," she said, "some of my best work is on walls and is there any rule against it?"

Professor Dumbledore smiled. "No there is not but Filch is demanding one and to keep the peace I shall have to make one up. Please let the many paintings and tapestries decorate the halls of Hogwarts while you focus more on your work. The staff's main complaints were about the lack of homework you have been handing in, my dear, is there something you'd like to say?"

"I would like to protest against the," Rose screwed up her face as she tried to remember the word Saffy and Sarah used in their letter to her, "ludicrous amount of homework. Teachers set long essays for every class and act as if we have nothing better to do than the essays. I have five essays to do every night almost. I didn't even know how to write an essay until my sister sent some pointers!"

"My dear girl," Professor Dumbledore said, "I know you are exaggerating the workload and I believe you will handle the work that is given to you if you simply apply yourself. You are a very bright child and I can see many great things ahead for you. As long as you stop tormenting my caretaker Mr Filch might just have a stroke if you continue to draw on the walls."

"Ok, Professor," Rose nodded with no resolve to stop drawing on the walls. She will do a damn good painting when she wants, where she wants, and about anything she wants.

"Now then my dear, I believe Mr Levin is waiting outside for you, and I inquire if I will see you at the Chess Game tonight? I believe Mr Weasley will be competing against Mr Boot?"

"Nah, I find chess boring. Linny is going though. Bye Professor," Rose waved cheerfully at Fawkes, "Bye bird."

Fawkes trilled a goodbye note and Professor Dumbledore said his farewell. Rose skipped down the stairs and cheerfully threw herself into Tom's arms. "No trouble?" he asked.

"Nope," Rose said.

"That's got to be a first, Permanent Rose not in trouble," Tom teased. "I thought we should eat in the kitchens. You've never been in there before and it's best to avoid Filch while we're at it."

She nodded and took the hand he offered her. She let him lead her to somewhere she'd never been before; many Slytherins, Saffy and Sarah, and Daddy would tell her she's too trusting and could end up killed.

But Rose would never let anyone but Tom take her hand and lead her to god knows where.

She would let Tom lead her to hell if he wanted to.

PRPRPRPRPRPRPRPRPRPRPRPRPR

Halloween was not a good experience for Rose.

Rose usually enjoyed trick or treat and then staying tucked up in Sarah's hammock or in Indigo's bed listening to the ghost stories her older siblings, Sarah, David, and Michael had to tell. She would later then have nightmares and Mummy or Sarah's Mum would make her hot chocolate and reassure her. At Hogwarts there is apparently a big feast with lots of sweets and entertainment followed by a Gryffindor slumber party where they tell ghost stories before going to bed.

That. Did. Not. Happen. This. Year.

Instead Rose was forced to go to a Deathday party where there was no food, it was very, very, very cold, terrible music, and no fun games to play. Poor Nearly Headless Nick was ignored even though it was his party and Moaning Myrtle had another screaming fit. Luna enjoyed herself though, she interviewed all the ghosts and plans to write an article on their lives and why they chose to stay in the living world instead of moving on. Hermione was going to help her write it which was nice because the two of them did not get on very well at the beginning. They then left to have some pudding but didn't make it because Linny heard some voices plotting to kill and they ran after him only to find blood on the wall.

_THE CHAMBER OF SECRETS IS OPEN. ENEMIES OF THE HEIR BEWARE. _

If it had not been for this writing Rose would have written to Daddy and tell him that Linny needed to go to the loony bin for hearing voices.

They were soon surrounded by everyone who took one look at the writing on the wall and all turned to glare at her.

"Miss Casson what have we told you about graffiti?" Professor McGonagall shouted.

"I didn't do it!" Rose protested.

The school students began to murmur and glare at the eleven year old girl accusingly.

All hell broke loose when Filch saw his cat stiff as a board. It took ages to calm him down, stop Snape implying that Linny had anything to do with it, shut Lockhart up, and get back to the Tower and tell all the Gryffindors that Rose had nothing to do with it at all.

"What is the Chamber of Secrets anyway?" Rose asked.

"It's Salazar Slytherin's secret chamber." Tom explained as he handed sandwiches and cakes to the four twelve year olds and Rose. "I went to the Fat Friar's Deathday party two years ago and ended up hungry. I thought you lot could use something to eat," he answered their questioning looks, "anyway, Slytherin was supposed to be against muggleborn students joining Hogwarts, most likely because in those days muggles were all for burning witches, and had a huge argument with Gryffindor over it. The legend is Slytherin had a secret chamber where he kept a monster in it to kill all muggles who tried to invade the school. I think in this case with that message it's against the muggleborns."

"How do you know all of this?" Hermione asked.

"Saffy told me, she read it in the Hogwarts A History," Tom shrugged.

"And why does a muggle read that book and not a witch and wizard who are going to Hogwarts?" Hermione glared at Linny and Rose.

They both shrugged and looked as if they couldn't care less. "We're artists," Linny said as if it explained all.

Knowing the Cassons from Ron's, Tom's and Linny's stories and from what she had witnessed in public Hermione can't help but feel that those two words did indeed explain everything.

HPHPHPHPHPHPHPHPHPHPHPHP

Hermione, out of fear for her own safety and a small spark of protectiveness for Rose who was also a muggleborn, came up with a plan to question the only suspect the four twelve year olds could come up with.

Draco Malfoy.

Hermione decided on polyjuice potion that she had heard about briefly in class. It would make them look like a Slytherin and then they could question Malfoy without him suspecting it's them. The difficulty was not getting the instructions (they tricked Lockhart who thought they wanted one of his books into signing permission for the restriction section) but the actual ingredients. They would have to steal from Snape's private store rooms and none of the twelve year olds were willing to do it.

Linny especially had refused. Unlike the others who merely feared Snape, Linny had a healthy respect for the potions master, though this respect may have something more to do with the fact that Snape knew where he lived.

Rose ended up doing it.

According to Colin it was an awesome chaotic lesson with fireworks, boils, disgusting body parts and where Snape kicked them all out early with death threats.

While they were brewing the potion several things happened in a chain of events. First was the first game of the qudditch season where Linny was chased round by a rogue bludger and broke his arm in winning the game. To everyone's fury Lockhart vanished the bones out of Linny's arms and Rose felt very smug when she broke Lockhart's foot with her new steel toed boots that Sarah gave her for her birthday.

The next was Colin Creevey being the next victim of the Heir of Slytherin. The little boy had been a fairly good friend of Rose's and admired her for a lot of things. When he saw that she was worried about Linny he snuck out to see if he was ok and to bring him some grapes because that's what you do when someone is ill.

Colin's attack was followed up by the new duelling club run by Lockhart and Snape. Tom complained loudly about Lockhart being involved and stating 'Sev could wipe the floor with you, so what's the point?' needless to say that Tom lost twenty points and was sent out of the room with a lifetime ban to ever join the club. Snape very quietly only in the hearing of Linny and Rose who both had sharp ears awarded Tom with fifty points.

A miracle and major historical event.

The disaster of the duelling club continued as Linny tried desperately to avoid Neville's chaotic magic, Ron had to avoid the fire coming from Seamus' wand (Seamus and Rose had too much in common when it came to explosive magic), Hermione was being held in a headlock by Millicent a fellow Second Year from Slytherin, and Rose was beating the living crap out of Draco Malfoy. Snape thought it best to quickly change the pairings after a few healing spells and put Linny and Draco on stage to do a mock duel. Malfoy summoned a snake who was scared off by Lockhart's attempts to get rid of it and almost attacked Justin if it hadn't been for Linny's ordering it not to.

They all suddenly learned that Linny could talk to snakes and everyone but Linny's friends thought he was the heir of Slytherin and therefore attacking everyone.

The Hufflepuffs began leading a campaign against him.

They refused to listen to the fact the snake left Justin alone after Linny hissed at it, or the fact that he is a muggleborn to (well...actually...no he wasn't but they didn't know that!), and it really didn't help that Linny was found at the site of another attack. A double attack. One of the victims being Justin.

The Hufflepuffs were rather successful in their anti-Lincoln Casson campaign. What the Hufflepuffs did not expect was Rose leading a campaign against them and to be just as successful as they were.

After reading over a hundred medical reports where Hufflepuffs have suffered bruising, fractured/broken bones, or burns, or even all three of them, Dumbledore decided it was best to suspend the Casson siblings.

Rose simply because she was causing far too much trouble and Harry for his own protection.

Bill agreed and came over through the Floo system (Dumbledore decided it was a safe and faster way of travelling and communication between the muggle and magical world for the Cassons and had it placed in September) to pick up his two youngest.

"I don't know why I'm the one being expelled," Rose scowled, "those meanies in Hufflepuff have been saying loads of horrible things and a few big ones tried to put Linny's head down the toilet like the bullies in Indy's school."

"And they have been punished, Miss Casson," Professor McGonagall said sternly. She looked mildly pleased to see Rose go, the past month had not been kind to her due to the lack of sleep, the increase in students that were in need of reassuring or telling off, and Lockhart just in general. She had gone greyer, more wrinkled, and exhausted all over. "There was no need to resort to violence like you did. You are suspended which means you will be coming back after Christmas so I would stop sulking and enjoy the time away from us teachers because you will be spending a lot of quality time with us in detention in the New Year."

"People are going to think that I'm the heir of Slytherin still," Linny said worriedly as he dragged the magically lightened trunks through the hallways.

"If there is an attack while you are gone they will no longer think it is you. If there is no attack, which we all having our hopes on, then rest your mind Mr Casson because I shall keep a stern eye on those bullying you and make them suffer my displeasure."

Professor McGonagall was surprised by the sudden movement of her two students. One moment they were sulking and walking besides her and the next they were beaming and hugging her tightly. Students rarely show affection to a teacher and the most one sees from a student in during graduation. Professor McGonagall really could not understand how these two could be so affectionate.

Especially when she saw the restrained and repressed Bill Casson who merely lectured Rose and herded both of the children into the fireplace to return to the Banana House.

The mother, McGonagall decided, must be some sort of saint filled with love and affection.


	8. Blood Red

_Darling Luna,_

_It is very boring at home. Saffy and Sarah are studying very hard so they can law in University, Indigo is working all the time, and so is David! Daddy and Mummy are busy getting housekeeping money for Christmas and Caddy is being a Mummy to Buttercup while Michael is teaching everyone to drive. Linny and I are forced to do our boring, boring, BORING, muggle studies as well as our homework for Hogwarts._

_Linny says Hello! And now I must say Goodbye._

_Lots of love_

_From _

_Rose _

**Dear Darling Rose, **

**It is not very boring here at Hogwarts but the people are so very dull. I have never thought Ravenclaws would not use their logic and wit but they are ignoring those in favour of blaming poor Linny for opening the Chamber of Secrets. Hermione, Ron, and Neville are working very hard to prove them all wrong. I wish I can help but they are very secretive. **

**Tell Linny hello back, and Tom says hello as well.**

**Lots of love**

**From**

**Luna **

_Darling Luna, Hermione, Ron, and Neville,_

_This is Rose and Linny here, well Rose is writing because she demanded to but Linny is telling her what to say. It is still very boring here, Mrs Levin has been put in charge of looking after us after Rose set the kitchen table on fire (it was an accident and mostly Daddy's fault) and now we have to look after cats as well as do two loads of homework. Caddy also made us babysit Buttercup (Carlos! We must call him Carlos...), Mummy, Daddy, and Michael have decided never again after Buttercup almost got electrocuted (this time it was Rose's fault – no it wasn't, it was Linny's fault too!). _

_Indigo says magic just makes us madder than usual and hungrier since we need food shopping three times a week. Both Indigo and David say hello and to leave them alone they have too much homework for Christmas. Saffy and Sarah are now home too but they are also saying leave us alone we have too much homework. They said it will be like this all the time at University and that University is not fun apart from one week of partying, snogging, and making friends. Caddy backed them up as she told us all about her one week of parting and making friends...and erm no snogging, Michael Darling, you're the only one for me (we somehow don't believe that). Indigo did not like the idea of Sarah snogging but she showed him she liked snogging him best...EW. We can't wait for Christmas and hope you like our presents Hedwig should be giving you with this letter. We will see you soon afterwards..._

_Lots of love,_

_From_

_Rose and Linny _

_P.S. Hermione, Ron, and Neville are brewing Polyjuice and that's why they're keeping secrets. _

**Dear Darling Rose and Linny,**

**This is Luna, with Neville and Ron nearby. Merry Christmas! I thank you both for the chalk and sketch pads. Ron says thank you for the muggle sweets, and Neville says thank you for the muggle book of plants and Hermione would say thank you for the novels but she is in the Hospital Wing (I will tell you more about that soon). I hope you liked our presents and had a very enjoyable day. I know I did, Daddy had gone away to find me a Snorkack so I spent the day eating a very big feast after opening all my lovely presents and then spent a quiet afternoon reading my new book on fairy tales before Moaning Myrtle made a strange announcement.**

**Hermione has got a tail! According to Ron and Neville they were trying to make Polyjuice Potion to trick Malfoy into confessing and while it worked for Ron and Neville it did not work for poor Hermione. Poor Hermione used cat hair and now looks like a human-cat; I try very hard not to giggle at her face when I saw her.**

**I hope you and your family are well and that Buttercup did not get almost electrocuted again, it sounds very painful. **

**Lots of love,**

**From**

**Luna (and Neville, Ron, and Hermione)**

_Darling Hermione,_

_This is Rose, Linny was going to write but I said I wanted to, so now I am writing to you. _

_Here is several get well pictures, the first one of a sketch of you reading is from Linny, the second one of Hogwarts that doesn't look like Hogwarts is from Mummy, the third one is actually a boring card that Daddy brought because painting get well pictures are not really art says Daddy. And finally, the best of all is from me! _

_I hope you like it, David and Sarah said they did and that they wish they were ill so I can paint them a get well picture too. I hope they do not because then I won't get to do what I want and be stuck making get well pictures forever. _

_Get better, get better, get better, get better, as our magic chant goes and see you soon._

_Lots of love,_

_From_

_Rose (and Linny)_

PRPRPRPRPRPRPRPRPRPRPRPRPRPR

Despite their happy Christmas with the whole Casson family Linny and Rose were miserable upon their return to Hogwarts. This was mostly because several Hufflepuffs had spat on them on their way in the Great Hall...and that Hermione was still a cat. They hate cats after spending three whole weeks cleaning cat poo.

The nasty things did not go away. The Hufflepuffs decided that the attacks had stopped because Linny had been caught in the act and been sent away and now they all think they will start attacking people again.

Rose called them all puff-heads and lost several points for it.

Not that she cared.

Then a few weeks into term (where Rose wrote several long insulting letters to Saffy, Indigo, Caddy, and Mummy and Daddy about the Hufflepuffs and Linny barely got to use Hedwig because of this) Linny found a strange diary. Neither Rose nor Tom gave much thought about this because it was boring but Luna seemed to dislike the book and shuddered whenever Linny pulled it out.

Rose soon forgot about the diary because of Valentine's Day.

She would like to murder Tom but Luna told her that Azkaban is horrible.

The day started horribly as she walked into a pink nightmare, there was pink confetti falling from the ceiling, the breakfast was pink and red, and Professor Lockhart was wearing pink too! She decided instantly to write to Caddy and tell her not to have a pink themed wedding.

At the Gryffindor table everyone swapped Valentines cards; Rose gave one to Linny that was all green, and another homemade one to Tom with gold inked roses on. She was disappointed when Tom didn't give her a card but he winked at her and promised he had something big planned.

"Happy Valentine's Day!" Lockhart shouted. "And may I thank the forty-six people who have so far sent me cards! Yes, I have taken the liberty of arranging this little surprise for you all — and it doesn't end here!"

Lockhart clapped his hands and through the doors to the entrance hall marched a dozen surly-looking dwarfs. Not just any dwarfs, however. Lockhart had them all wearing golden wings and carrying harps.

"My friendly, card-carrying cupids!" beamed Lockhart. "They will be roving around the school today delivering your valentines! And the fun doesn't stop here! I'm sure my colleagues will want to enter into the spirit of the occasion! Why not ask Professor Snape to show you how to whip up a Love Potion! And while you're at it, Professor Flitwick knows more about Entrancing Enchantments than any wizard I've ever met, the sly old dog!"

Professor Flitwick buried his face in his hands. Snape was looking as though the first person to ask him for a Love Potion would be force-fed poison.

Rose stood up and held her hand up high. She began to bounce up and down as she called out Professor Lockhart's name.

"Yes, young lady?" Professor Lockhart said with a smile.

"Why are you wearing pink?" Rose demanded. "I thought men only wore pink when they liked other men."

All of the boys roared with laughter as Lockhart flushed bright pink to match his robes. The teachers were having great difficulty to hide their own laughter as well as Lockhart spluttered out a scolding and Rose received a detention for her innocent question.

Rose was greatly surprised to receive fifty points when she entered the dungeon twenty minutes later. The whole school went into shock over it during dinner later that day after all it is rare for Snape to give points to a Gryffindor.

Anyway back to Tom. Not long after lunch Rose was attacked by one of those dwarfs dressed in a nappy that was determined to sing to her. To make matters worse the dwarf accidentally, most likely on purpose, pushed her into Professor McGonagall's classroom and drowned her in roses as she struggled to get back on her feet.

"Here's your singing valentine from Tom Levin," the dwarf said as he strung his harp. "Rosie, Rosie, give me your answer do, I'm half crazy from spending time with you, I can't afford a brain cell, but you'll look sweet, if you did my homework for two."

Rose lost thirty of the fifty points she earned by slapping Tom on the shoulder before she left the class room trailing roses all over the place.

It was one thing to get an embarrassing singing valentine but to have one with a terrible song based on a terrible nursery rhyme which was written out of silliness and no original thought (one of Saffy's and Sarah's favourite insults for boyfriends) well that made her mad and she wasn't going to forgive him any time soon.

She forgave him pretty quickly when he presented a chocolate cake to her though.

HPHPHPHPHPHPHPHPHPHP

A diary told them that Hagrid was the one who opened the Chamber.

Rose said it was dirty liar and tried to set fire to it only for her spell to backfire and burn all of their homework.

Needless to say Hermione was not impressed.

Not long afterwards the diary went missing and then barely a few days later Hermione and a Ravenclaw Luna liked were attacked.

Then Hagrid got arrested and Dumbledore was kicked out, which was bad, very bad, very, very, _very _bad.

And to top things off they _still_ have to do exams!

It was very late one night in May when Rose, pale, shaky and feeling rather sick woke Tom up. Linny and Ron stood either side of her, they would have taken Neville with them but he drew the line after the last time he was in the Forest.

"Wassup?" Tom mumbled.

"We almost died can we sleep with you?" Rose asked.

"_WHAT?"_

"Shut it, Levin!" one of the fifth year boys hissed.

"Giant spider..." Ron said. Linny peered at Ron in interest, he looked very pale to the point his freckles really stood out like splotches of paint, even his lips were white, and they barely moved as he whispered those two words out.

He hadn't seen anyone this scared since Indigo was on the window ledge. Obviously Tom had a similar experience since he just groaned and allowed them to crawl into his bed. Linny huddled against Rose who was curled up against Tom, her head resting on his chest, while Ron sprawled out on the bed over their legs.

It was a miracle they got out alive.

Thank god for accidental magic.

Linny was certain it was not only Rose who set the trees on fire but also Ron and maybe him too. He felt a strange spark in him started by his horror, terror, and anger that the spider could betray Hagrid's trust so easily and then a sudden burst of warmth as if there was a flame dancing inside of him.

He closed his eyes and was slowly drifting to sleep as Aragog's words echoed in his mind...

He sat up as everything clicked together.

"Moaning Myrtle's bathroom!"

"Go to sleep Linny!" Tom snapped.

Honestly it was no wonder Indigo was such a grump if his younger siblings kept interrupting his sleep like this.

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Rose turned to look at the pale girl beside her.

She did not like Ginny Weasley. Ginny Weasley was very boring, at first all she talked about was sport and Rose's brother (which Rose did not like at all!) but then all she did was write in something and blush whenever Linny was near her. It was very boring. Luna said Ginny was her childhood friend and yet Ginny has made no attempt to even talk to Luna which Rose could not understand because Luna. Is. Very. Cool. But today Ginny was acting very odd. Very odd indeed.

She was very pale. Pale as Ron when he saw all those big spiders. And she kept twitching and fidgeting, and at one point she even rocked backwards and forwards like a little baby. It was very distracting in class and Rose stopped paying attention so she could watch Ginny.

When Professor Flitwick was leading them to their next class Rose saw Ginny stop walking and allow everyone go ahead. She slowed down and waited till everyone had gone before she turned to see Ginny run off somewhere.

Rose followed.

By the time she caught up Ginny had thrown her bag down on the floor and was staring up at the wall with the writing on.

"What are you doing?" Rose said angrily.

If it turned out this was all Ginny's fault and Linny was the one who got the blame then she will. Tear. Every. Last. Strand. Out. Of. Her. Hair.

Ginny turned to face her and Rose let out a yelp. Not only was Ginny deadly pale but her eyes were glowing a demonic red! She must be possessed by the devil!

Ginny let out a long hiss and Rose fell to the floor in pain.

So much pain. It really hurt. She had never been this hurt before not even when she stubbed her toe and that was very, very painful.

She could hear footsteps and she screamed as Ginny poked her wound. She closed her eyes and tried very hard not to cry but tears ran down her face anyway. She turned to her side and all she could see is swirls of scarlet and crimson and deep dark burgundy.

She was surrounded by blood.

Her own blood.

It all goes dark.

**Authors' Note: I know, I know, evil cliff-hanger! But to get another update you know what to do...review! I want to also say that a certain bit I do not own it was an extract of J.K Rowling's Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets chapter 13 The Very Secret Diary. Oh and please review. **


	9. Twisted Shapes

Bill and Eve sat beside Mr and Mrs Weasley in complete shock. Mrs Weasley was weeping shamelessly about her missing child while Mr Weasley was trying to comfort her meanwhile Eve was white as a ghost and struggled to sit up properly; Bill kept an arm round her to keep her up right.

His beautiful brave wife just braved her worst fear in order to give Rose and pint of much needed blood.

He shuddered at the memory of Rose looking so small and pale in the big bed at the Hospital Wing. He couldn't lose his little girl (and quite honestly favourite child though he will deny this), he already almost lost her once when she was a tiny baby.

He ignored Dumbledore's droning reassurance and glanced back at the door.

His little boy was missing as well as the youngest two Weasleys. Anything could happen to Linny and he couldn't quite get the image of him looking tiny and small in a hospital bed from last year out of his head either.

The memories of Caddy's disappearance, Saffy running away to Italy, and Indigo on the verge of death barely at the age of twelve made a re-appearance in his mind and Bill shuddered again and held Eve closer to him.

He swears his children are determined to make him bald.

The door opens and the beautiful fiery bird flew in and landed on the desk while two filthy boys – one covered in blood – and a crying little girl followed them.

"GINNY!"

"LINNY!"

The two mothers jumped out of their seats and ran to their children. Mrs Weasley was practically smothering her children while Eve held Linny close enough for her to kiss his face and stroke his hair. Bill joined her and ruffled Linny's hair before pulling him into a long tight hug.

"Don't ever scare us again, young man," he said sternly.

"Sorry Daddy," Linny said his bright eyes looking wide and innocent and Bill felt his anger drain away...damn it, his children are masters at manipulating emotions. "How is Rose?" he asked.

"She's recovering, you're mother was a very brave woman and donated her blood when the potions were no longer a help," Bill said with a small proud smile.

Eve flushed a bright rosy pink which made Bill feel happier. At least she's no longer on the verge of collapsing.

"What on earth happened?" Mrs Weasley asked loudly.

"I think we all would like to know that," Professor McGonagall said sternly.

So Linny and Ron stood there retelling a horrific tale of hearing voice, talking snakes, Deathday Parties, Hermione's clever mind, giant spiders in the Forbidden Forest, a crying ghost, and an evil secret chamber in the girl's bathroom.

For some reason Bill felt this confirmed his adolescent thoughts of girls being the epitome of evil.

Dumbledore believed the insane story Linny spun (so insane it had to be true because that was just how his children worked) and sent Ginny with her parents to the Hospital Wing, Eve back through the fire so she could tell the other children that both Rose and Linny were fine, McGonagall to the Kitchens, and Ron after being rewarded for helping Linny was sent to help Lockhart to the Hospital Wing.

Bill grudgingly left the office to allow Professor Dumbledore to speak to Linny privately. He spotted Lucius Malfoy coming up the stairs with that weird creature that had attacked him last summer looking terrified. Malfoy sneered at him and Bill just smiled pleasantly, he had dealt with snobby art dealers before and Malfoy was no worse. Malfoy had barely been in the office for five minutes when he suddenly stormed out again whacking the poor creature with his cane repeatedly.

Linny then ran out after him and Bill watched horrified as he shoved sock in the man's hand. The hand ended up in the shocked but suddenly happy creature's hand and Bill moved quickly ready to punch that snob's face in when he saw the cane raised to hit his own son.

But the creature did something to make the man fly back into the stone wall.

"Dobby is a free elf!" the creature said to him as he caught up with the pair of them. "Dobby can go wherever he wants to go."

"Erm...that's great, Dobby," Bill said politely. "What are you going to do about money though?"

Linny let out a loud sigh showing how he felt about Bill's constant worry over money while Dobby looked really worried. "Dobby will have to find a paying job! Peoples might not want to hire Dobby instead of owning Dobby. What if they take away Dobby's sock?"

Suddenly an amazing idea hit Bill. "Can you clean Dobby?"

"Yes Master Harry Potter's Fake Daddy, Dobby is very good at cleaning."

Bill frowned but decided not to question it. Fake Daddy probably meant adoptive father in house elf speak, Bill can foresee grammar lessons from Sarah and Saffy in this strange creature's future.

"And can you cook?"

"Yes Master Harry Potter's Fake Daddy, Dobby is best at deserts though."

"Well then," Bill said cheerfully, "I'll pay you five pounds a week if you work for me and my family. Our house seems to be forever filthy."

Bill has suddenly found it difficult to stand up properly as Dobby wept in sheer joy and clung tightly to his knees in a grateful embrace.

What had Bill just done?

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Sarah really couldn't believe her eyes. She has a permanent bruise on her arm where she keeps pinching herself for the past month.

The Banana House was clean.

For the past month and a half it had been sparkling clean and Rose no longer appears at her front door in hopes of having a decent meal. It was so odd for the artistic, chaotic, and plain weird family she knows and loves to be so organised and normal.

Well ok it was not normal for them to have a House Elf, a Witch, a famous Wizard, and a human-like owl in the family but still this was normal for them!

Dobby had fitted in with his eccentric nature, it had been a struggle at first because the Cassons were trying to give Dobby the basics in life which he thought were luxuries and would immediately burst into tears about how great, noble, and kind was Harry Potter's family. Eventually the Cassons won (they always do just ask Sarah, Michael, David, and Tom who kept losing to that gorgeous Casson Smile and matching guilty eyes) and Dobby now sat down for dinner with them, had a multicolour crazy wardrobe of mismatching socks and many more, had help with the chores, his own bank account at Gringotts (apparently the Goblin serving them fell out of his chair when Linny expressed a wish to open an account for an House Elf), and had a little house next to Eve's shed.

Yeah that's right there's a house in the back garden now.

It wasn't anything huge or liveable for a human but it was still a house. A child's garden one, Sarah used to have something similar until the damp affected her asthma when she was seven and her mother had it torn down. She cried so hard (and faked some more) that to cheer her up her parents took her to Disneyland Paris for two weeks. Anyway, the house was about up to Bill's shoulder and contained a little wardrobe, a small bed, and a mini comfy armchair where Dobby sits as he reads or knits in his spare time.

To top it off Rose painted it to make it look like a magical garden house with roses that seemed to breathe and creeping ivy and a warm blue summer sky with a shining sun. She even painted a picture of Linny on the inside wall for Dobby, much to Linny's discomfort!

For Linny while the month had been pleasant with Dobby's cooking it had been very boring. For almost dying he had been grounded for two months and was forced to do all of his homework in one go to actually have something to do. Sarah and Saffy had a great time drilling Year Eight material into his head and had even started on Year Nine work. They planned to have him sit his Key Stage Three SATS the next summer and needed to keep up to speed on the material.

Rose had a boring couple weeks since Madame Pomphrey had ordered two weeks of bed rest when she got home and Bill took that very seriously. Even Eve took it very seriously and would bring up trays of food and art supplies to keep her amused. Sarah and Saffy had come to teach her the Maths, English, and Science she had missed (Rose is a terrible student), Indigo talked to her, lent her books, played music for her (and came out disgruntled when Rose insulted his musical talent), Caddy visited often with Buttercup (and both came out almost in tears), Luna sent long letters (and much to everyone's surprise Rose replied with equally long letters), Molly, Kieran, and Kai came to visit a couple times, and Michael was the only one who managed to get Rose to smile (David didn't even try after the first visit where he almost lost his head – literally – in a burst of sheer anger from Rose). Once she was free from bed-rest she became the much more lovable menace they all knew and loved.

However despite the boring beginning of the summer things were looking up as Caddy's wedding was going to be in late August and since Sarah's Mum was going to be forty five this year there was another garden party to look forwards to.

But as usual things took a far more interesting turn a lot earlier than planned. Free from being grounded Linny was taken out to the skateboarding park with Indigo and David and came back with a giant black friendly dog.

"You already have an owl!" Bill shouted.

"No I haven't, Linny has," Indigo said pleadingly. Indigo rarely asks for anything because he was the easiest to please out of Bill's children and felt he had everything he wanted. "David and I will walk him and clean up after him, please Dad, he's a good dog."

Bill, who always had difficulty saying no to his children unless it was something completely unreasonable like finding stone angels, going to New York, and not wanting to go to school, was easily swayed by the pleading eyes of not only Indigo but David, Linny, and Eve.

Yes even his own wife turned against him.

"Oh all right but if I tread in dog poo it's straight to the RSPCA for him," Bill sighed, "I need a drink."

Eve squealed excitedly while the children (apart from Saffy who stubbornly kept her arms round herself) hugged him and thanked him.

Dobby appeared magically with a bottle of something called fire whiskey (she and Saffy accidentally got drunk on it and ended up swearing off alcohol for the rest of their lives). It had a really strong kick but boy did Bill need it.

"What name, what colour, black for his fur or blue for his eyes," Eve said excitedly pulling out the paint chart and holding it up for Indigo to read.

Sarah decided while it was cool to name your child after a colour it was better to pick before hand before Eve shoves the damn thing in your face.

And yes she meant it to sound like one day she would have Indigo's children. She can't think of a better family to be married into.

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It was a semi-normal morning for the Casson family, literally it was now that Eve no longer cooked breakfast for them, they were all sat at the table eating a Sunday fry up with Hedwig sitting on the back of Linny's chair eating bacon, and their new dog Midnight (not very original but Sarah wouldn't let Indigo pick a blue name, "we might need it for our future child" she said oblivious to the snickering of the others and Indigo's bright red face) underneath eating off a plate. Bill had sighed the first time Midnight joined them for meal times and just said it was typical his children found a dog with human like tendencies.

It's not like they can't find a normal stray or anything.

Their cheerful breakfast routine was interrupted by a knock on the front door.

"David Darling, could you get that?" Eve asked as she splotched some black paint trying to make it look like fur. "It's going to be Caddy she said she was taking the girls dress shopping."

"Mum, Caddy would have just walked in," Indigo pointed out.

"Oh...well maybe she forgot her key."

"I doubt it, it's not like we lock the door," Bill grumbled behind his newspaper.

No matter how hard he tries everyone ignores him and forgets to lock the door...or bring their key out with them. The only one who does is Saffy but then she's his sensible, father-hating, temperamental, bitter daughter. She's not the normal one.

David trailed back in the kitchen with a gigantic bat following him. Midnight choked on his bacon and Indigo had to duck down and pat him on the back.

"Professor Snape!" Linny said cheerfully. "Have you come to join us for breakfast?"

Snape spluttered for the briefest moment before retaining his calm sarcastic persona. "No, Mr Potter I prefer to actually enjoy my breakfasts in the summer," he said coolly. "I have come to inquire about this," he held up a piece of card in his hand, "and how it came to my possession."

"It's a wedding invitation, Severus," Eve said gently barely looking up from her painting, "our Caddy is getting married in two weeks time -"

"Finally," Bill muttered, "after two engagements, almost a year of running round Europe, and one illegitimate child."

"- and we thought you would enjoy the happy occasion with us. After all darling when you are home you rarely come out and enjoy the summer holidays. Think of this as a fun party, I know the children do."

"We're just glad that Caddy is finally marrying Michael," Sarah said cheerfully as she nicked a sausage of Indigo's plate. "They've been heading down this road for five years now."

"I don't do weddings," Snape said icily.

"Oh come on Professor!" Linny begged. "Live a little, it's not like we're asking you to marry Caddy."

The dog started choking again for some strange reason and David joined Indigo under the table probably to hide the fact he was giggling.

Bill folded up his newspaper and looked at Snape straight in the eye. "You can use the wedding as a perfect opportunity to tell me exactly how my children behave at Hogwarts."

Suddenly the cold dead look in Professor Snape's eyes disappeared and was replaced with a malicious glint in his eyes, "then I shall be there," Professor Snape said silkily, "is there a particular gift I should get the happy couple?"

"Just a gift voucher will do," Sarah said cheerfully, "Michael wants to sort things out himself since he knows if he left Caddy to it they would have a zoo for a wedding present instead of things they actually need."

"Very well, I shall see you in two weeks then," Snape nodded his head as a farewell gesture and glided out of the kitchen down the hall and out of their house.

"You're very good at manipulating people, Daddy," Rose said having watched the whole thing with wide eyes.

She looked very proud at using a big word like manipulating. It was something Sarah and Saffy managed to teach her recently.

"I have to get people to buy my art somehow, Rose," Bill said proudly.

"And sister's to sleep with their sister's husband," Saffy muttered immediately ruining the moment.

The next day Professor Snape came back with pink hair. David almost wet himself with hysterical laughter and Linny swears he has never seen Indigo express so much amusement in his life. Professor Snape was of course accusing them of doing it since they were the only students of his that knows where he lived.

"But Professor you're in the phone book, anyone can find you!" Linny protested.

"Oh hello darling," Eve said coming in with the now finished portrait of Midnight trying to dry it, "you look colourful today though I don't think pink is your colour. Perhaps you should try electric blue or a dark red for the wedding."

Professor Snape lost all composure and began spluttering before storming out.

Next to him Midnight was laughing and snickering. Linny wondered if they had somehow managed to find a magical pranking dog.

It really wouldn't surprise him if they had.

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The wedding was a lot simpler, cheerful, and nicer than the almost wedding with Alex. It was at the town hall with only the Cassons, Sarah's parents, Professor Snape, and a few Zoo staff members on the bride's side, and Michael's smaller family, a few work mates, and his best friend on the other side. Caddy wore a cream summer dress while her bridesmaids Sarah, Saffy, and Rose wore matching mint green summer dresses. Within forty minutes the wedding was over and Professor Snape had been dragged to the next room for the reception where he suffered cheap bad cooking and conversations with everyone in the room.

He gritted his teeth as he put up with Rose Casson's screeching as everyone teased her about interrupting the last wedding and Buttercup (who on earth would name their son after a cow?) kept wailing.

The next day he woke up to find himself not only with green skin but an invitation to Sarah's Mum's forty-fifth birthday party.

If he wasn't a grown man in control of his emotions he would have probably cried.

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Albus Dumbledore let out a long suffering sigh before setting off a firework from the end of his wand. This effectively silenced his screaming staff that was all protesting about the installation of Dementors outside the school gates.

"Thank you," he said cordially, "I understand that it is highly dangerous to have Dementors at the school. I am completely against it myself but this is a compromise, the Ministry of Magic originally wanted the Dementors to be inside the actual school but I put my foot down."

"Thank god, can you imagine trying to teach with those things draining every feeling," Flitwick squeaked with a full body shudder.

"Severus," Albus said turning to the dark haired man on his left. He had sneaked in two seconds before the meeting started and kept his face against the table throughout it all. He didn't even argue at the appointment of Remus Lupin as Defence against the Dark Arts teacher. Albus was beginning to get worried. "Have you got any input?"

Severus lifted his face and poor Flitwick fell out of his chair at the sight of the boils on his face. The others gasped or let out a yelp of surprise apart from Albus who calmly stared at him. "They are driving me insane," Severus whispered hoarsely.

"Who is?" Hagrid asked dumbfounded.

"The Cassons!" Severus replied in a terrified whispered. "They found out where I live! They drag me to weddings and parties and dinners around their house. Bloody Harry Potter has come over with his Potions homework asking me to go over it with him! Someone is playing pranks on me my hair has been every colour of the rainbow for the last month. The father asks me for reports, the brother stares at me, the second eldest is always asking questions, the eldest keeps putting her baby on my lap and it dirties my clothes, while the mother," he shudders, "the mother calls me _darling_."

Minerva fell out of her chair as well in laughter while the others sat there in silence. Severus had a very crazed look in his eye and was acting almost as paranoid as Mad-Eye the way he kept glancing over his shoulder.

"Let's talk about Budgeting!" Professor Sprout cried out desperately.

For the first time ever in the history of Hogwarts the teaching staff actually enjoyed a very long conversation about budgeting...anything to avoid looking at the boils on Snape's face and hearing him mumble about the insanity of the Cassons.


	10. Grim Black Letters

_Dear Mummy (And Caddy, Michael, Indy, Saffy, Sarah, and Buttercup),_

_School is boring and dull. End of story. Classes are not interesting and the walls have been spelled to stop me drawing on them (don't tell Daddy he'll ask Dumbles to do at home as well). Our new Defence Professor is always staring at me and Linny funny, I'm not sure about him, he called Linny Harry on the train, but he is kind when my worst fear was Tom (I'm not talking to Tom right now, tell him to leave me alone). Linny has started his new classes and told me to tell you that Arthimancy is just like Maths, Divination is a load of bull, and poor Hagrid might be fired on his first day. He introduced a wonderful creature called Buckbeak who is half bird, half horse and doesn't like insults so of course the prat Malfoy insulted it and is now in the Hospital Wing. Which. Is. What. He. Deserves. _

_Linny isn't feeling well. Not that he will admit it, he's like Indy when he's head was put in the toilet. Those things called Dementors are horrible, they made me go all cold and shivery inside and I thought of all the times Tom wasn't there, neither was Saffy, Caddy, Michael, and Indy, and Indy was always cross with me because of David, all those horrible, horrible, horrible times kept coming back to me. Maybe that is why I fear Tom doesn't like me anymore (we're not talking right now he asks too many questions and I find him annoying). Linny reacted horribly to those horrible, horrible creatures he went all shuddery and sick looking before fainting like a girl (Linny says it was not like a girl but it was). _

_Luna says hello and that she had a very good summer. I am now on her ceiling so she can say good morning and goodnight to me over the holidays._

_Love _

_Rose _

_**Darling, darling Rose,**_

_**Daddy read your letter so he already knows the spell but I talked him out of asking Professor Dumbledore to do it on the house (he says to address your teachers respectively and please stop using foul language like 'bull'). He is also unhappy that you have not put his name on the letter so do write to him please, a sulky Daddy isn't good for Mummy's happiness. Everyone sends big love, hugs, and kisses, and lots and lots of questions about Tom (please try to answer them darling we are worried). We don't like these demented things either but sadly there's nothing we can do, just stay in school and eat lots and lots of chocolate. **_

_**We have some bad news darlings, Midnight has gone missing since you went to school and we can't find him, Indy, David, Saffy, and Sarah are all working hard to look for him and making posters so don't give up hope. **_

_**Be good, keep safe, and don't get expelled.**_

_**Tell Luna hello back.**_

_**Lots of love **_

_**Mummy xx **_

**Darling Mummy, **

**This is Linny. Rose is no longer talking to you because of the questions everyone sends. Please stop sending them. She and Tom are now talking again. I am fine, don't worry, doing ok in class and can't wait for Hogsmeade and the first big game. **

**I hope you find Midnight soon, it's getting cold outside and he might get ill. **

**Tell everyone we love them and said hello.**

**Hermione, Neville, and Ron all say hello too. **

**Oh and I was the one who said bull not Rose so don't tell her off. **

**Linny **

_Dear everyone,_

_Linny is in a mood because he lost his broomstick. The dementors came to the match, it was already raining badly, so badly I couldn't see anything and lost my umbrella in the wind, but then they came and made Linny faint again. He fell off his broom and it blew into a tree that hits back and got smashed. Linny holds the broken broom like a teddy and sulks a lot. Luna thinks he has Wrackspurts but I think it's just man flu or something like Sarah said about Indigo when he's in a huff. _

_He also having bad dreams, calling for 'Mum' and 'Dad' says Neville and Ron. I don't believe them because Linny has always called you Mummy and Daddy, so they must be lying. He has also been looking in that special photo album from Hagrid again._

_He's not acting like Linny._

_Help, please, _

_Rose. _

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"Professor could I speak with you?"

Remus turned to face Harry – no Lincoln, preferably Linny – with a small polite smile. He could hardly believe his eyes in September when he saw an almost carbon copy of James with Lily's emerald green eyes standing before him. He had actually called the boy Harry when he helped him on the train, he was mildly shocked to find that the boy doesn't answer to that name and hadn't done since his parents were murdered. Professor Dumbledore had explained to him that he had made a mistake ("Please don't look at me like that Remus, I am human you know.") and left Harry on the wrong doorstep. The family that lived in that house had adopted Harry and changed his name to Lincoln Casson and treated him as their own ever since. Remus had been watching Harry and his interactions with his adopted muggleborn sister Rose; they seemed happy together and well loved so he never approached Harry about knowing his birth parents.

In fact he couldn't help but feel a little affection for Rose Casson who in a way reminded him of both James and Lily. She had Lily's temper, stubbornness, and kindness but James' disregard for the rules, habit to insult when defensive, and rudeness. He could almost imagine a Potter girl just like her if James and Lily had lived.

He remembered the Boggart lessons and how Harry – _Lincoln_! He must remember to refer him as _Lincoln_! – was kept away from it in case it turned into Voldemort but in the Second Year class he allowed Rose to step in front and it had turned into that cheeky Sixth Year Tom Levin (he reminded Remus too much of James and Sirius, he can barely look at the boy in class) but a colder, harsher, quick to reject version of the teenager. He had kept her behind to comfort her but she was quick to demand him to leave her and her brother alone.

Therefore he was a little nervous about Ha-Lincoln wanting to talk to him now and motioned hurriedly for the boy to sit down before he offered a cup of tea.

"How can I help you, Lincoln?"

"I...Hermione said you fought off the Dementors on the train," Linny blurted out. Remus passed him a cup of over-sugared tea (the only flaw of the Casson parenting he has seen to date). "Thank you."

"You're welcome," Remus said before sitting down at his desk and taking a sip of tea. He sighed a little, pure bliss in a cup, and then placed his tea down on the desk. "Yes I did. I used a powerful and difficult charm known as the Patronus."

"Could you teach me?"

He had a bright and eager look on his face, the same as James when he announced his new prank idea, his eyes glittering like Lily's when she discovered a new charm to learn or a new twist to improving the potion.

"It's a bit too advanced for your age H-Lincoln, I'm not sure if it's advisable for you to learn it," Remus said gently in hopes of letting the boy down just as gently.

There is a long silent pause as Linny took a deep long sip of his tea.

"When the Dementors are near me I hear my parents, my birth parents, being murdered," he said quietly.

Remus made a motion; he wasn't sure what he was going to do squeeze H-Linny's arm or something to comfort the poor kid. Whether or not he had a happy childhood with his family the boy still loved Lily and James and it wasn't something any child should hear.

"Have you spoken to your parents?" he asked. "They might offer some advice."

Linny chewed his bottom lip anxiously. This had to be a Casson trait because neither James or Lily chewed their lip like that. "I don't really want to bring up my birth parents with them."

Remus raised an eyebrow, "Do they not like to talk about them?"

"No, no, not that. It's just...one of my sisters, Saffy, she's adopted too and she resents them for it. Daddy is her birth parent but her birth mother was Mummy's sister and it was all a big muddy secret that confused everyone...she calls them Bill and Eve now and it hurts them so much. Daddy gets all...weird, and Mummy tries hard not to cry. I don't want to make them feel like that either, I love them."

Remus felt a small headache coming along. He didn't really understand a word of that other than Ha-Linny was too considerate of his parents' feelings to speak about his birth parents.

"My best friend was James Potter," he said slowly making the boy's mouth drop open. "And I was very good friends with Lily Evans, your birth mother, I was there the day you were born and used to visit you when you were a baby. If you ever need someone to talk to I am here, and if you feel it's necessary to learn the Patronus Charm then I shall teach it to you."

He hadn't seen such a happy smile in years. Thirteen exactly when James came bursting out of the birth room screaming 'it's a boy, it's a boy!' on the top of his voice. He soon told Linny that after he managed to escape the almost bone crunching hug the boy gave him.

He soon found himself in another hug the next day from Rose Casson who was obviously very close to her adoptive brother.

Tom was suddenly even more friendlier to him...if that was possible.

And then he received a letter from Eve and Bill Casson inviting him to stay for Christmas. Unfortunately he had to turn them down (the lunar charts foretold a full moon on Christmas Eve) but he promised to visit sometime in the summer.

He slowly started to wonder what exactly he got himself into.

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**Dear Ron, Neville, and Hermione,**

**My name is Saffron Casson and as you all know I'm Linny's older sister. I'm writing this letter to you to inquire what exactly is bothering my baby brother ever since he came back two days ago he has been a moody little whatsist and has made everyone miserable. He won't talk to any of us, Rose especially, and has been flicking through his photo album a lot more than usual. Please tell me what exactly is going through my brother's head so I can resolve the issue pronto. **

**Sincerely, **

**S. Casson. **

Dear Saffron, 

This is Neville writing for Ron and Hermione as well. Unfortunately Linny had overheard three of our teachers and the Minister of Magic talking about Sirius Black on our last school trip to the village. Apparently Sirius Black was best friends with James Potter and had been his Secret Keeper to hide his location from You Know Who. Sirius Black betrayed the Potters and then murdered a mutual friend called Peter Pettigrew as well as the twelve muggles. This on top with his bad reaction to the Dementors is what's upsetting Linny, we wish we can help more but he's shut himself off from us and Professor Lupin. I hope things get better over the Christmas hols, please give Linny our regards. 

Sincerely, 

Neville Longbottom. 

("Seriously, who in their right mind would name their child Neville Longbottom?" "Don't be mean Sarah or the middle name will come out at the dinner table." "You wouldn't!" "Try me.")

_Dear Mrs Casson, _

_As a teacher at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry I cannot leave my post over the winter holidays due to the many students who wish to remain there. It is my duty to make sure they do not destroy the school out of boredom as well to brew potions for the Hospital Wing and mark essays from the previous term._

_In other words no I cannot come for Christmas Dinner, now please stop bothering me._

_Sincerely._

_Professor S. Snape. _

**Dear Everyone, **

**I'm feeling a lot better now so don't worry about me. Michael took me out for a drive and Daddy had a 'man to man' talk with me as well. Indigo let me use his walkman for a week and Mummy cooked all my favourite foods as well. They all try very hard to cheer me up. **

**We have yet to find our dog Midnight, Daddy says we should all be sensible and give it up as a lost cause, and Rose told him to bog off and ended up with two days of being grounded. She says hello by the way. **

**Caddy makes it impossible to be sad. She's very cheerful and happy right now since she just found out she's pregnant AGAIN! She has her fingers crossed for a little girl this time; Michael doesn't mind what it is as long as he gets to name the baby. **

**Christmas Day was nice, thank you guys for your presents they really cheered me up but not as much as this present did. You know Daddy wasn't going to buy me a broom until after New Years when he looked at our finances? Well it doesn't matter anymore because someone brought me a FIREBOLT! We don't know who so I have to be patient while the Professors test it out and make sure SOMEONE jinxed it or something. I hate waiting but I will for this, it looks AMAZING!**

**See you soon **

**Linny. **

_Darling Mummy!_

_This is Rose with Linny behind me. Linny won the game against Ravenclaw and we are now almost won the House Cup, we just need to beat Slytherin and by we, I just mean Linny. Linny wants me to write loads of boring details but I told him to bugger off and write his own letter if he wants to be boring. So Expect. A. Very. Boring. Letter. Soon. _

_Patronus lessons are going well. Professor Lupin let me take them with Linny so Linny won't feel so alone. I can only make mist come out but Linny made an ANIMAL COME OUT TODAY! I'm not sure what it is but it looked big. _

_More soon_

_Rose!_

_Darling Mummy!_

_This is Rose with another letter so very soon! We were attacked! Well Ron was attacked! By Sirius Black! He somehow got into the Common Room. It was all very scary but Tom let me and Linny sleep in his bed for the rest of the night._

_Don't worry, none of us are hurt, but I think Ron might have accidentally wet the bed. _

_Rose!_

("I've got to get them out of that school!" "Now Bill Darling, be sensible!" "Did Eve just tell Bill to be sensible?" "The world is ending, that is my only explanation.")

**Dear Everyone, **

**I'm fine, don't worry. I have wonderful news though, I found Midnight! He's on his way home to you and will talk things through properly. Turns out his an escaped convict who was wrongly imprisoned, Ron's rat (remember Saffy almost killed him when she first saw him?) turned out to be Peter Pettigrew! It's all so confusing but apparently Professor Lupin is a werewolf (I saw him change it was terrifying, I thought he was dying!) and my birth father and his two other best friends learned to shape shift into animals to help him. Since Midnight has nowhere to go I thought it's best he stayed with us after all he is family (and we now know he's definitely potty trained). **

**Further news Buckbeak has escaped being executed (erm if you see a half horse, half bird creature in the garden don't be afraid) and I won the House Cup for Qudditch. **

**Rose is ok and says hello, she's not happy with me because I had an adventure without her. So really Luna said hello on her behalf and then said hello herself, so does Ron, Neville, and Hermione. **

**Lots of love **

**Linny. **

("Oh so that's why the dog kept covering his eyes when I got undressed!" "I slept in the same bed as a convict?" "Deep breathes David! Take it easy!" "Eve! Why is there a half horse, half bird in our garden? It's not exactly art is it?")

_**Darlings!**_

_**Midnight and Buckbeak got to ours safe and sound. I must say Buckbeak is absolutely beautiful, I had him pose for a few paintings but I have to get that beautiful colour just right yet. We will send Buckbeak back soon to Hagrid, as much as we like him we can't keep him (Daddy almost had a heart attack when he saw him) since it'll cause questions...and Buckbeak tried to eat Dobby, the poor soul can barely leave his house right now. **_

_**Midnight will be staying with us permanently, mostly as a dog, occasionally as a human, he's promised to pay rent into Linny's account, so darling you'll have to do some more bank stuff for Daddy, I don't really understand it. Saffy and Sarah are questioning Midnight a lot, I don't think anyone has quite forgiven him for not telling us the truth last summer but oh he has the loveliest eyes and promised to pose for me in a painting. David had a little panic attack but after Midnight reassured him he's not into little boys (I didn't quite understand why he had to do this) David calmed down. So did Daddy when I think about it. **_

_**We will see you in a week, missing you both dreadfully, **_

_**Love **_

_**Mummy xx**_

PRPRPRPRPRPRPRPRPRPRPRPRPRPR

Linny and Rose stepped off the train and were immediately pulled into Bill's and Eve's arms. It was the first year they hadn't been called into the school because of something dangerous so they might have been a little too enthusiastic with their hugs.

"I can't breathe!" Rose choked out. "Back off!"

Eve laughing through her tears stepped back a few steps while Bill tried his hardest to look stern but the cheeky grin on both of his children's faces made it rather difficult.

"Is Saffy, Indy, Sarah, David, and Midnight here?" Linny asked craning his neck to look for the rest of his family.

Neville gave him a small smile goodbye, the Weasleys large over the top waves, Hermione a bright big grin and small wave, and Luna was half waving, half blowing kisses...or was that sign language? He wasn't sure.

Tom had said his goodbyes on the train having to rush from King Cross to Heathrow to take the plane home. Rose had sulked for most of the journey back but Tom did promise to visit in August before going back to school and then he brought Rose a chocolate frog to get her to talk to him again.

For some reason Linny can foresee this being the rest of their lives...Tom bribing Rose with chocolate.

"No, no, Dobby is going to apparate us back home," Bill said pointing to the bouncy colourfully dressed house elf waiting near the barrier. "He wanted to escape Buckbeak who decided Dobby must be his new chew toy."

They all laughed apart from Eve who cooed under her breath how Buckbeak would never really hurt poor Dobby. They then rejoined the bouncy hyper house elf who hugged Linny tightly and tearfully before apparating them home to the Banana House.

"Linny! Rose!"

"Urgh can't breathe, again."

"Caddy you're fat!"

"Oh thanks Linny, I just got her to stop crying."

"Of all the animals and strays in the world you had to bring a man home, didn't you?"

"Hey! I'm a sexy man!"

"You're a straight one, though?"

"Have you been watching my sisters' undress?"

"What's this about befriending a werewolf? Can't you do something normal at your magic school? Hold on that was a stupid question."

"Yes, I'm straight, no I do not watch your sisters undress I am a gentleman, and hey kiddo, where's a hug for your favourite godfather?"

Bill groaned and went to find some aspirin as his whole family and then some were practically shouting over each other. The heavily pregnant Caddy was wailing, Saffy was glaring at Sirius who was protesting his innocence while trying to grab Linny's attention which was on Michael trying to comfort Caddy, Indigo was in a middle of about five different things, and Eve had taken to singing while she went outside to pet Buckbeak.

He groaned to himself when he realised he now had six teenagers, a man who thinks his a teenager, a overemotional pregnant woman, her overprotective husband, a hyperactive elf, a wife who was in love with a half horse, half bird thing, and said half horse, half bird thing...

Why did he want his children to come home for the summer again?


	11. Saffron Yellow Summer

The summer after Third Year had to be the most exciting one in Linny's life.

Every morning he woke up to his godfather in his dog form curled up beside him drooling or snoring, or even farting in his sleep causing him to yell out and wake him up. And a very disgruntled Indigo, must never forget the moody irritable older brother who loves sleep more than his girlfriend ("I dream about my girlfriend it's not like I'm cheating on her with sleep!" Indigo cried out in one teasing session. "Why Indy," Sarah purred, "I'm afraid I'm not as faithful since Orlando Bloom visits my dreams on a regular basis.") . they then trudge down the stairs, bickering, with a snarling Saffy chasing after them, a yawning Rose grumbling, and a confused David practically sleep walking, to be served a delicious breakfast cooked by Dobby.

Sarah would join them at some point and then she and Saffy will drag Linny and Rose for homework and muggle school work while Indigo and David actually did fun stuff. Sirius either lounge about with the boys or help with the homework depending on the subject ("Just fail potions, Snape's not worth the effort – ow! Saffron stop beating me with that book!").

Bill had long ago escaped the house for work while Eve would have drifted off to the shed to paint. Buckbeak was long gone (much to Dobby's relief) with a package for Hagrid which contained a beautiful portrait of himself. Hagrid had sent back a tearful letter and a large sack of rock cakes (which after David chipped a tooth on one no one would touch (Bill dragged a fearful David to the dentist)). Caddy would arrive with a screaming two year old (Saffy swore Linny and Rose were just as terrible in their terrible twos) for them to look after so she can go home and actually sleep.

Not until after everyone spoke to her stomach and poked and prodded it. Caddy was gigantic and some insensitive questions like 'were you this fat with Buttercup?' would send her into streams of tears. So once they all caught up and Caddy rested her feet they would suffer entertaining a teething two year old while Caddy legged it for a nap and time for herself.

Sirius soon became Buttercup's long-suffering favourite toy as the baby climbed all over him in dog or human form demanding piggy-backs, pulled his ears or hair or even his tail, and cried if he dared leave the room.

"It's like babysitting Harry again," he grumbled to a snickering Saffy.

"I think it's adorable, babies in general are, I bet Linny was a gorgeous baby" Sarah said loudly, causing Linny who had been chasing Buttercup to freeze, and Sirius to jump away from Saffy as he had been leaning on her to complain. "When you get hold of your old belongings you must show us all of Linny's baby photos."

"I have a few," Sirius smirked, "but none match that lovely photo of him almost naked apart from a pair of boots in the garden at age five."

Linny groaned and turned bright red. "You had to show him that?" he wailed to his older smirking siblings.

"It wasn't us," Saffy grinned, "Eve couldn't wait to show Sirius every photo of the whole family. I think he even saw that old black and white photo of Great, Great, Great Granny."

"Why, why didn't Rose accidentally set the photos on fire?" Linny moaned to himself.

"Maybe if you show that one of her nappy being changed to Tom she will," Sarah suggested.

"Sarah!" Indigo and Saffy scolded.

Sirius just threw his head back and roared with laughter. He found himself recovering from his twelve year nightmare a lot quicker since he moved in with the Cassons whether it had something to do with being near his precious godson or living in a warm, safe, loving environment with regular meals, or even just the constant humour running throughout the house from the dippy mother to her wild naughty grandson, Sirius didn't know but bloody hell he loved it.

HPHPHPHPHPHPHPHPHP

Severus Snape, however, was not enjoying his summer holiday. This was mostly because he was in a dark brooding mode after discovering he had accused the wrong person of betraying Lily and let the real culprit run off. And that he almost lost Lily's son's soul to a dementors, that was preying on his mind as well, all of the gloomy stuff aside he was finding himself a victim to pranks once more, and also a victim to the over the top warm welcome of the Cassons once more.

For some bloody reason they can't take no for an answer and that was irritating him.

So in an attempt to get them off his back Snape agreed to go to Potter's birthday party that and the strengthening of his wards which stopped majority of the pranks had cheered him somewhat (instead of being on the verge of murder he was now on the verge of just some normal throttling) and now dressed in his muggle clothing (smart black trousers and matching black shirt) he dramatically walked to the Cassons intimidating several children on his way.

The party was a rather small one which surprised him since there had been virtually a hundred people at the last party this infernal family dragged him too. He glared at Lupin who was standing at the back scratching a large black dog's ear before he was suddenly grabbed into a huge hug.

"Oh Severus darling!" Eve cried out. "It is such a pleasant surprise that you came! I know Linny was looking forwards to you coming."

"Why? So he can play more pranks on me?" Snape snarled.

"Pranks? Oh no! Linny has never been one for pranks, the dog however...oh dear, I think I can smell the sausage rolls burning, I'll just be a moment darling! Remember to mingle!"

Snape sneered as the ditzy woman rushed back into the house. The dog? She thinks the dog was pranking him? Somehow he had a feeling she was completely right but that didn't stop her sounding barking mad. He looked at the old house stuck in memories of how he used to come here as a place to escape. In this very garden which had once been neat and filled with beautiful bright flowers he had used to play with Lily...

The sign painted in bright colours read **HAPPY BIRTHDAY LINNY & ROSE** distracted him for a brief moment but it had been hanging out from the bathroom window and Mr and Mrs Evans' bedroom window and he was stuck remembering Mr Evans giving him the 'talk' and treating him like he was the son he never had and how Mrs Evans rubbed his back when he had been sick that one time...

"Hi Professor Snape!" Potter appeared by his side looking rather cheerful, behind him were the youngest Weasley boy and Longbottom, both looking rather nervous. "How are you?"

"Wishing I was in hell, Potter," Snape said rather civilly (and very truthfully), "where's Granger?"

"Oh she's on holiday with her parents but she sent a brilliant book filled with different paintings and stuff, Rose has nicked it though," Potter said far too cheerfully.

"I hope you do not expect a present from me Potter," Snape sneered.

"Oh no! Wouldn't dream of it sir, just glad you could make it."

"I am curious though to know why the banner has your sister's name on it. I was under the impression her birthday was not for another week or two."

"Oh Luna Lovegood has invited Rose to stay with her for the next two weeks before the Qudditch World Cup Final, something about nargles or wrackspurts, I'm not quite sure, anyway Daddy agreed to it and we're celebrating her birthday early this year," the child babbled, "she's a little upset that Tom couldn't make it but he's not flying into England for another couple weeks yet but at least she has her friends round, she hasn't seen them much since she started Hogwarts."

"Indeed," Snape muttered, "Tell me Potter, where can I get a beverage around here?"

"Caddy's in charge of drinks, there should be a table somewhere..."

"Useless child," Snape muttered.

He was about to storm off dramatically to find something to drink, and then make people aware he had arrived, before running off back to his sanctuary away from the memories and irritatingly cheerful people. However just as he was about to leave Potter and his two pathetic sidekicks alone a house elf tackled Potter to the ground.

"Dobby is sorry! Dobby was preparing the Great Harry Potter's birthday present! He did not mean to leave Fake Harry Potter's Mummy in charge of the kitchen!"

"Dobby it's all right! Stop hitting yourself! Mummy always used to burn things..."

Snape left rather quickly leaving the boy to deal with the hysterical house elf. He cannot bear the creatures, they were far too pleasing and cheerful for his liking, he preferred something that had a backbone and didn't smile all the bloody time. He soon found the second eldest Casson child sitting beside her best friend and looking as sullen as he felt.

"Professor Snape," she nodded to him.

"Miss Casson," he nodded back. "I don't suppose you know where I can get a drink, do you?"

"There's a table by the shed that Caddy is supposed to be in charge of," the girl shrugged.

As he began to walk away he could hear the crippled girl whisper harshly, "Get a grip Saffy, it's your brother's birthday party. Do try and have some fun."

"I'm too mad at that bloody dog right now!" the other girl hissed.

"Oh so what if he accidentally walked in on you when you were undressed, it's your own fault for not locking the door. He said sorry already!"

"It's the principal of things!"

"Oh I give up!"

Snape finally found the heavy pregnant girl feeling rather confused. He didn't understand why the dog was so bloody important and a large part of him really didn't want to find out but then his curiosity was always one of his weaknesses (along with Lily, custard tarts, and his pride, always his pride). He decided this one was best to learn a later date; it was safer for his sanity if he has a drink and leave the party as soon as possible.

"Oh hello Professor!" the eldest Casson cried out cheerfully. Why was this family so bloody cheerful? "How are you?"

"I have been better," he replied coolly, "and you?"

"About to burst any second," she grinned as she patted her large stomach, "twins apparently, the doctor says it'll be any day now. Michael can't wait he wants to name them since I got to name Buttercup," Snape winced for that poor child who will certainly be bullied for the rest of its life, "what can I get you to drink?"

"Anything will do," Snape said.

He regretted it when he was passed a bright pink fruity cocktail that had about five different spirits in it. If the night couldn't get any worse the fat boy that the Cassons had practically adopted fell to his knees with a large purple tongue growing out from him, several of the ignorant muggles screamed while Mrs Weasley was yelling at her evil-definitely-from-hell twins, and Mr Weasley was trying to soothe the boy while resolving the crisis.

Once everything finally calmed down the eldest Casson child let out a small gasp.

"Oh!" she cried out. "My waters have broken."

Snape gulped his drink down in one and sweared to never go to another Casson party ever again.

Tom grinned down at the baby he was holding before grinning at his best friend who was holding the matching baby. "How do you feel Uncle Indy?" he asked.

"No different to how I felt yesterday," Indigo grinned back.

"I bet these two are going to be lookers just like their aunts," Tom said, "you'll have to lock them up Michael or you'll have hoards of teenage boys coming over."

"Oh trust me, I plan to," Michael grinned while his wife let out an argumentative whine. "They have to be a prince or something before I let my little girls go out with one of them."

"Just as long as it's not a bloke likely to cheat on one twin with the other," Saffy said loudly causing her father to wince and her adoptive mother to look distraught. The rest of the family merely sighed at her antics. "Any other sort of bloke is probably golden compared to him."

"That's enough Saffy," Indigo said quietly.

A glance at her best friend who looked like she agreed with Indigo silenced Saffy effectively as the rest of the family cooed adoringly at the two new additions to the family. Jassy and Juniper, who were both sleeping peacefully and ignorant to the world around them.

"So where are the young uncle and aunt then?" Tom asked noticing the absence of his most favourite Casson (don't tell Indigo) and her older brother.

"Rose had left two weeks ago for a camping trip with Luna that's going to end with the World Cup Final tomorrow and Linny left to stay at the Weasleys this morning," Indigo explained. "Dad got hold of a wireless from Mr Weasley and we're going to listen to the World Cup here if you want to join us."

"Do I want to listen to the most awesome game in the world with the most awesome family in the world? Do you have any idea how stupid that question sounds?" Tom asked with a raised eyebrow.

"A rather sensible one?" Michael suggested.

Everyone laughed until a disgusting smell filled the room. Tom quickly held out the baby he was holding (was it Jassy or Juniper?) to Caddy.

"It's your turn, Mummy," he said innocently.

HPHPHPHPHPHPHPHPHPHPHP

It was dark and loud and scary.

Rose wasn't often scared of something and when she was she rarely let anyone know. her biggest fears had always been thunderstorms (in which she will climb into Indigo's bed since it was the safest place in the world unless she was at Hogwarts then it will either be Linny's or Tom's) and the very secret fear of rejection (which was no longer a secret thanks to that bloody Boggart). She had been terrified of those giant spiders which had resulted in hiding in Tom's bed during her first year and she hadn't been good with that horrible feeling in your ears when an aeroplane goes up (she always holds on tightly to Daddy for that) but now she had no one to hold on to and she was very scared.

Very, very, very scared.

The World Cup had been great fun and really exciting she had brought lots and lots of Ireland things for herself and her family and got lots of free samples of things as well. The two weeks before had been hilarious as she watched the most interesting tents being put up, wizards wearing really funny clothes (she took photos for everyone to laugh at), and talked to lots of people and learnt loads more about the magical world.

Then she was woken up by lots of screaming and these scary men in masks were making people float upside down in the air.

And what was worse was it was muggle people they were levitating which made her feel very sick. She thought about her family and how easy it could have been them.

Mr Lovegood held onto her hand tightly while he held Luna's with his other hand and ran towards the woods which scared Rose some more because she couldn't stop thinking about the Forbidden Forest and those giant spiders.

She wanted her brother.

She needed to know if Linny was safe or not,

When they stopped Mr Lovegood was looking really worried and was too busy glancing around to be much comfort. Rose wanted to run away and find Linny so she could cry. Instead she felt Luna pull her into a much needed hug and she could hear her whisper loudly in her ear.

"Everything is going to be all right Rose."

Just then a bright green light lit the forest as the sky was filled with a large skull and snake.

The entire forest screamed in terror as Luna clung tightly to Rose.

PRPRPRPRPRPRPRPRPRPR

Sirius was pacing up and down the living room.

The moment Saffy had read the magical newspaper the whole family took half an hour turns by the fireplace. Dobby was crying hysterically which had most of Eve's attention as she tried to soothe the poor house elf and Bill had been quick to send a letter to the Weasleys and Lovegoods for the return of his children. Tom, Indigo and David had taken a turn earlier before being chased off by a hysterical Caddy and rather harassed Michael who was trying to deal with a toddler, two babies, and a crying wife. Soon after Bill took a turn before being forced out to work by Sarah who sat with Saffy as they waited impatiently and now they were joined by an agitated Sirius.

"Will you stop bloody pacing? It's _fucking_ irritating!" Saffy snarled as she jumped off the sofa and stood in Sirius' way.

Sirius raised an eyebrow at her. He was used to her being angry almost all the time, in fact he rather enjoyed angering her she had a fiery blaze to her blue eyes when she was angry, but he had never heard her swear.

"What?" she snarled.

"Nothing, just not used to hearing you swear," Sirius said, he then side stepped her and began to pace up and down again.

Saffy grabbed his arm pulling him to a grinding halt. "Pacing isn't going to bring them back any time sooner. And all it's going to do is irritate me," she said sternly in her best teacher's voice.

"I need to do something," Sirius got out between gritted teeth, "I hate waiting when someone I love might be in trouble."

"Yeah? Well get used to it, pal, because I always have to wait to see if my little brother and sister are all right," she poked Sirius in the chest, "and you're going to have to do the same over and over again," with each word she poked him harder in the chest, "so act like a bloody grown up and stop moving about before I bloody hit you."

Sirius opened his mouth but before he could say anything the fire turned emerald green and a boy with matching eyes stumbled out.

"Oh thank god!" Sirius and Saffy cried out simultaneously.

Linny found himself stuck in a middle of a three way hug as Sirius held onto his left side and Saffy onto his right side. Sarah was snickering in the background before she shouted out to the house that Linny was home.

He was then stuck in a giant group hug which grew more suffocating when Rose fell out of the fireplace and into Tom's back.

Of course Indigo, Saffy, Sarah, and Linny shall be teasing Rose about this for quite some time.

Until she throws a shoe at them and it hits Bill in the eyes.

("Sorry Daddy!" Rose wailed. "Grounded!" was Bill's only reply.)


	12. Emerald Green

**Author's Note: **a couple extracts of this chapter are nicked from Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire but other than that completely AU-ish.

Linny woke up on the first of September with his scar hurting.

He had stayed the night in a hotel room with Indigo, Tom, and Sirius. David would have come but his mother refused the invitation on his behalf in order to do some school shopping themselves. Saffy, Sarah, and Rose were sharing a room while Bill and Eve had their own room. It was an important September this year because not only were Bill and Eve saying goodbye to their youngest two but to Saffy and Sarah who were renting a small flat in London while studying law at one of the universities.

Eve has been weeping for the last two days about how quiet the house will be with only Indigo, David, Midnight, and Dobby.

Bill looked at her as if she was mad. The Banana House would never be quiet just like Eve will never be sensible.

Rolling over in the bed he shared with Sirius Linny tried to remember his dream. It was only flashes and a keen sense of it being about Voldemort. A man, an aged man with scars, had just been attacked but who was he? Why was this significant? Was it just a dream or was it more?

"You all right, kid?" Sirius asked. "You were thrashing in your sleep just a moment ago."

"Bad dream," Linny mumbled, "and my scar hurts for some reason."

Sirius began to run a comforting hand through Linny's hair just like Eve would when he was feeling ill or had a bad dream. "Go to sleep, kid," Sirius murmured gently, "it's not even five yet and you got ages before worrying about getting to King Cross. Get some sleep when you can or you'll be exhausted at the feast tonight."

"Mmm-hmm," Linny mumbled as he was lulled back to sleep by Sirius' gentle stroking of his hair.

For what will probably be the last time in a very long time to come Linny was at peace.

HPHPHPHPHPHP

Rose did not enjoy her first day back at school.

She did not enjoy her proper first day back either but she will get to that soon.

The train journey to Hogwarts was rather dull as all the boys will only talk about Qudditch while Luna and Hermione read their books. Bored out of her mind Rose kept fidgeting and moaning until she finally got to do something (finding the sweet cart for pudding) by the time she came back Ron was in a foul mood because of something Malfoy said about his lack of money and dreadful robes.

They really were dreadful and looked like something worn in the Victorian times for a girl not a boy.

Once the train finally stopped it was pouring down and Rose was instantly soaked by the time she got into the carriage and wanted nothing more than to go to bed with a hot chocolate. Unfairly the only thing she got was a water balloon to the face and Tom bursting out into terrible laughter that made her scowl through the whole very long, very boring sorting. The feast was not as enjoyable as it used to be because Hermione kept going on about House Elves and then there was an announcement about some competition that got most of the boys talking.

Tom kept bragging how he would be the first American to win this because he was so awesome.

Rose didn't think it was worth it, not only did lots of people die in this but it wasn't very fun when only one person in Hogwarts was allowed to do it while Qudditch was a lot more fun for everyone in the school and yet it gotten rid off in favour of this stupid contest.

The next day did not improve. Not only did Rose accidentally managed to make a sticky green gunk thing instead of the potion she was working on resulting in a detention but she had her first two new elective lessons. Care of Magical Creatures was a complete nightmare that has most certainly put Rose off ever having magical pets if they all burn, suck blood, and sting all the same time. Even Luna didn't like the Blast Ended Skrewts and she loved animals!

Then she had Arthimancy because she didn't really know what else to pick and Linny loved it but it turned out to be terrible, evil, nasty maths! She _hated _maths! She had marched up to Professor McGonagall's office straight away and demanded to swap it for something else.

She now did Ancient Runes which a rather irritated and annoyed Professor McGonagall reassured her that it had nothing to do with maths.

To top it off she had lots of homework for Charms as well that she will have to do straight away or Saffy will write to her or send her a howler or something. She was walking to the Great Hall for dinner when she saw that pathetic, foul, loathsome (Saffy taught her that) slug Malfoy insult poor Ron's mother and father.

After having such a terribly bad day she just lost her temper. She marched right over to that white haired git and slapped him hard. Everyone gasped or cheered as she shouted at him. "You are pathetic, stupid, foul, evil, loathsome, arrogant, little git! No one likes you! No one cares if your father is rich! Now bugger off!"

She whirled round and marched towards Linny who looked proud of her and then suddenly a strange mix of shock, anger, and fear before he shouted, "Rose!" grabbed hold of her and pulled her down the ground.

Then suddenly _BANG!_

"OH NO YOU DON'T, LADDIE!"

Linny sat up and helped Rose up as she was too awed at the sight of a small white ferret standing where Malfoy had stood no more than a few moments ago. She couldn't help it, she laughed so hard she might have wet her pants if she had actually had something to drink in the last couple hours.

"Did he get her?" the new scary professor asked her brother. "Sounds like a tickling jinx."

"Nah, she just finds the ferret funny," Linny explained, "I got her to the ground before the jinx hit her. It looked more dangerous than a tickling one."

The scary, heavily scarred professor growled. "Attacking someone from behind is one thing, but a little girl as well is another thing entirely, good reflexes kid." He turned to the ferret just as it was about to run and waved his wand at it. Rose eyes widened as it flew up into the air very, very high and then landed onto the ground in an almost splatting sound. How it was not hurt she did not know. "I don't like people who attack when their opponent's back's turned," the professor snarled as the ferret bounced higher and higher. "Stinking, cowardly, scummy thing to do…Never - do - that - again -" the ferret was now beginning to bounce at each word that was spoken by the scary professor.

"Professor Moody!" said a shocked voice.

Professor McGonagall was coming down the marble staircase with her arms full of books. Rose inwardly groaned because she knew Professor McGonagall will stop Malfoy getting his just deserts. It was times like this Rose wished Saffy and Sarah were her age and in Hogwarts. They would come up with a fantastic argument to have punishments like this to be given out to great big bullies like Malfoy!

"Hello, Professor McGonagall," the scary professor said calmly, bouncing the ferret still higher.

"What - what are you doing?" said Professor McGonagall, her eyes following the bouncing ferret's progress through the air. Rose could see her watching with narrowed eyes like Saffy would when Rose lied about doing her homework.

"Teaching," the scary professor's grunted.

"Teach - Moody,_ is that a student_?" shrieked Professor McGonagall, the books spilling out of her arms.

"Yep," said Moody.

"No!" cried Professor McGonagall, running down the stairs and pulling out her wand; a moment later, with a loud snapping noise, Draco Malfoy had reappeared, lying in a heap on the floor with his sleek blond hair all over his now brilliantly pink face. He got to his feet, wincing. Rose snickered he got exactly what he deserved in her mind.

"Moody, we never use Transfiguration as a punishment! Surely Professor Dumbledore told you that?"

"He might've mentioned it, yeah," the scary professor said, apparently called Moody, Rose had almost forgotten his name from is dramatic entrance that would be put anything Snape did to shame, he scratched his chin, "but I thought a good sharp shock -"

"We give detentions, Moody! Or speak to the offender's Head of House!"

"I'll do that, then," said Moody (though Rose was considering just to keep calling him Scary Professor), staring at Malfoy with great dislike.

"Come on," Rose said tugging at Linny's sleeve, "it's gotten boring now. Let's eat, I'm hungry."

"You're always hungry Rose," Linny laughed.

Later that night Rose started a letter to home with excitement despite her dreadfully dull, terribly terrible first day back at school.

_Darling Mummy, _

_Today I saw a bouncing ferret! It was…._

PRPRPRPRPRPR

Linny was cold, numb, shaky, and trying very hard not to cry.

Was it very bad of him to not think of his birth parents often? He had not really thought of them since the last story Sirius told him which had been the night before he went back to Hogwarts. That was five days ago. He had never really felt the need to know more or think often about his birth parents because he had parents. Mummy and Daddy had done everything a parent should and he never once thought if he was better off with his birth parents.

The Dementors were the longest time Linny had thought of his birth parents. He knew his father gave his mother time to run and he knew his mother did not have to die but she did…

The green of the killing curse flashed in his mind and he shuddered.

He felt so sick and disgusting.

He didn't follow Ron and Hermione when they ran after Neville who was just as pale and shaky as Linny was.

Instead he made his way slowly to the Gryffindor Tower. It was the last lesson of the day and he discovered he was most certainly not hungry right now. He moved without looking and immediately bumped into a smaller girl.

"You had the scary professor's class didn't you?" Rose asked.

"Yeah…"

"It was rather scary, wasn't it?"

"I…yeah, a bit."

"And he said you were the only one to survive the killing curse."

Linny didn't even bother to hide the fact there were tears running down his cheeks right now. "Why me, Rose? Why me and not my parents?" he asked hoarsely.

Rose gave him an awkward small shrug before throwing her arms round his neck. They stood there ignoring the stares from the other students as Rose patted Linny's back and murmured, "its ok, its ok," over and over again as Linny tried to stop crying. "Tom is going to get dinner from the Kitchens. We're going to have a picnic on his bed."

"I don't th-"

"Picnic. Tom's bed. Now." Rose ordered sternly in her best bossiest voice. She had never sounded more like Saffy's little sister than she did right now.

"Ok, ok, as you wish," Linny said smiling weakly.

It was no surprise to him that Luna came with Tom to help pick up a three course meal that consisted of soup and bread, steak and kidney pie with roast potatoes and vegetables, and finally a large apple pie with a jug of custard to share.

Of course they ended up spreading crumbs and creating stains on Ton's bed sheets but it really didn't matter seeing as Daddy was nowhere to be seen.

HPHPHPHPHPHP

Rose really didn't like the new students that arrived for this stupid competition. It was bad enough that all the older students were acting like morons and each house kept bragging at which student were 'surely going to win'. It was all so boring and irritating.

Stupid Tom was just the same.

The new students brought really weird food on the table. Some of it was really nice but some of it was really, really, _really_ disgusting. The Durmstrang lot seemed really nice; one of the guys asked her if he can have some Bulgarian dish really politely and not at all conceding like those purebloods from Slytherin. While the Beauxbatons students were very snobby and acting rather wimpy about the cold.

The next day the Weasley Twins got some really funny beards. They were long white ones just like Professor Dumbledore. Tom was roaring with laughter before he put his name in the flaming goblet. Rose had a sudden urge to smack him and tell him off like Daddy would tell her off sometimes.

Instead she stole some toasts and chocolate croissants for breakfast and went to see the giant horses with Luna. They bumped into a tiny French girl that was very beautiful; Rose made a terrible attempt to speak the French that Saffy had taught her.

The girl laughed and had to correct her pronunciation between the two of them and Luna they held a much mingled conversation in both French and English about the horses. The girl introduced herself as Gabrielle and then invited them both in for tea in the Carriage. They were welcomed warmly by Madame Maxime who was not only the largest woman Rose had ever seen in her life and very pretty as well.

The tea wasn't as nice but the cakes were delicious and very posh. Madame Maxime told them about their school which sounded like a Palace and the schooling seemed much easier but that was due to the longer length of the schooling. They in return told her what they had studied so far and how the sorting system worked.

Madame Maxime escorted them with Hagrid back to the castle when it was time for the feast. Luna, Gabrielle, and Rose burst into hysterical giggles when they saw Hagrid in his hairy brown suit and tangled hair forced in to pigtails. Linny, Ron, Hermione, and Neville joined them looking rather amused as Ron kept claiming the largest babies in the world will be born soon.

Professor McGonagall was in the Entrance Hall when they entered the castle and did not look impressed with her students that were not in the Great Hall yet.

"I do hope you six have not been imposing yourself on Madame Maxime, Mr. Potter-Casson, Mr. Weasley, Mr. Longbottom, Miss Granger, Miss Lovegood, and Miss Casson," she said sternly.

"We were at Hagrid's," Ron quickly blurted out.

"Miss Lovegood and Miss Casson had been invited by a student of my own," Madame Maxime said in her heavy French accent. "They are a credit to your school."

Professor McGonagall said nothing but Rose had a feeling the look on her face said _oh no they're not! _She resisted the urge to shout out _oh yes I am_ just like she would in a panto. Something told her she would be in detention for the rest of her life is she so dared to say that. Instead she picked at her dinner (she wasn't hungry after all those cakes) and moaned as the evening dragged on.

She wanted the announcement of the champions to end soon so she can go to bed and draw pictures of those great big horses perhaps with Luna and herself on them, or maybe Sir Lancelot would have a giant flying horse….

"Well, the goblet is almost ready to make its decision," Professor Dumbledore announced. "I estimate that it requires one more minute. Now, when the champions' names are called, I would ask them please to come up to the top of the Hall, walk along the staff table, and go through into the next chamber" - he indicated the door behind the staff table - "where they will be receiving their first instructions."

He took out his wand and gave a great sweeping wave with it; at once, all the candles except those inside the carved pumpkins were extinguished, plunging them into a state of semidarkness

The Goblet of Fire now shone more brightly than anything in the whole Hall, the sparkling bright, bluey-whiteness of the flames almost painful on the eyes. Everyone watched, waiting… A few people kept checking their watches…

The flames inside the goblet turned suddenly red again. Sparks began to fly from it. Next moment, a tongue of flame shot into the air, a charred piece of parchment fluttered out of it - the whole room gasped. Rose was in awe of it all and yet bored all at the same time she just wanted to know so she can go to bed.

Professor Dumbledore caught the piece of parchment and held it at arm's length, so that he could read it by the light of the flames, which had turned back to blue-white.

"The champion for Durmstrang," he read, in a strong, clear voice, "will be Viktor Krum."

Everyone clapped and cheered loudly at that. Rose couldn't careless that the Qudditch Player got in while she thought he played well in the World Cup it had been her opinion that Linny was far better at the sport. Besides he was just a stupid boy who didn't speak that much. He just sat there without even smiling when he won and now he's looking as if he was bored as he went into the side door. The clapping and chatting died down. Now everyone's attention was focused again on the goblet, which, seconds later, turned red once more. A second piece of parchment shot out of it, propelled by the flames.

"The champion for Beauxbatons," Professor Dumbledore said pausing for a moment ("To create a dramatic effect" Tom whispered to Rose), "is Fleur Delacour!"

Fleur looked like an adult version of Gabrielle, she was very beautiful and after she received a big hug from her little sister she left with her head held up high with pride. There was something about her that reminded her of Saffy just a little bit. Only Saffy is not as pretty as Fleur. The other girls from Beauxbatons were crying much to Rose's disgust. When Fleur Delacour too had vanished into the side chamber, silence fell again, but this time it was a silence so stiff with excitement you could almost taste it. The Hogwarts champion next…

Please don't let it be Tom, Rose prayed as she crossed her fingers on both hands, please don't make him die.

And the Goblet of Fire turned red once more; sparks showered out of it; the tongue of flame shot high into the air, and from its tip Dumbledore pulled the third piece of parchment.

"The Hogwarts champion," he called, "is Cedric Diggory!"

Tom looked crushed at not getting in but he stood up and cheered for Cedric despite everything. Tom rarely was a sore loser, it was one of the many things Rose liked about him because she can be a huge sore winner, Indy says, which makes no sense really but oh well.

"Cedric is a great guy," Tom said still clapping, "he deserves to win."

"I just want to go to bed now. I'm bored," Rose said she stopped clapping ages ago because her hands were very sore and stung from all the clapping she had done earlier. She ignored Professor Dumbledore as he continued to speak to the Hall. She was just waiting for those magical words 'you can go to bed now' so she can leg it out of the hall and go up to her nice, soft, comfy bed.

The fire in the goblet had just turned red again. Sparks were flying out of it. A long flame shot suddenly into the air, and borne upon it was another piece of parchment.

Automatically, it seemed, Professor Dumbledore reached out a long hand and seized the parchment. He held it out and stared at the name written upon it. There was a long pause, during which Professor Dumbledore stared at the slip in his hands, and everyone in the room stared at Professor Dumbledore. And then Professor Dumbledore cleared his throat and read out - "_Harry Potter__." _

Rose turned round to stare at her brother who looked completely horrified and shocked. Exactly. Just. How. She. Felt.

_Daddy is going to kill Linny;_ she thought faintly, _I wonder if Linny will leave me his awesome invisibility cloak. _


	13. Slytherin's Silver Lining

**Author's Note: this chapter is dedicated to Rachel has a belated birthday present. I am sorry it came out so late but I've been so busy in the last week it's ridiculous. I hope you enjoy it! **

"Harry Potter."

There was a long silence as the name sunk in. Linny blinked wildly, Rose fumed, Ron, Hermione, and Neville swapped confused looks, and Tom raised an eyebrow. The professors were exchanging worried looks as the Great Hall suddenly exploded with whispers.

"Harry Potter!"

"Where?"

"Do you think-?"

"- must be super-powerful."

"Boy Who Lived."

"I..." Linny croaked seeking Rose's eyes desperately. "I didn't enter."

He felt a hand on his shoulder and looked up to see Snape looking down at him grimly. Snape never looked grim, just cold or snarky, "Come along Potter," he said quietly.

"I didn't-"

A sharp squeeze on his shoulder silenced him as Snape spoke again, "come along."

Linny felt his legs move slowly as he stood up. They were numb he realised. He was numb with shock. He could barely feel anything. Just Snape's hand on his shoulder and the slightest motion that suggested he was walking otherwise he might as well be as petrified as Hermione was in Second Year. The closer he got to the side door the louder the whispers were. The closer he got, the quicker they turned from admiring whispers to angry hisses.

Once they were near the door Snape tilted Linny's chin up so their eyes would meet. "Did you put your name in?" he hissed.

"No," Linny whispered back.

Snape nodded and let Linny's chin go while Linny rubbed his head. He could have sworn there was someone in there a few moments ago. It ached like hell. He just wanted to go to bed now and never wake up, or better yet wake up to find this is all just some nightmare.

Suddenly Linny felt someone grab hold of his arm and pull him into the room where Cedric, Fleur, and Krum were waiting. "Extraordinary!" Bagman muttered, squeezing Linny's arm. "Absolutely extraordinary! Gentlemen… lady," he added, approaching the fireside and addressing the other three. "May I introduce - incredible though it may seem - the fourth Triwizard champion? _Harry Potter_. "

Viktor Krum straightened up. His surly face darkened as he surveyed Harry. Cedric looked nonplussed. He looked from Bagman to Linny and back again as though sure he must have misheard what Bagman had said.

Fleur Delacour, however, tossed her hair, smiling, and said, "Oh, vairy funny joke, Meester Bagman."

"Joke?" Bagman repeated, bewildered. "No, no, not at all! Harry's name just came out of the Goblet of Fire!"

Krum's thick eyebrows contracted slightly. Cedric was still looking politely bewildered. Fleur frowned.

"But evidently zair 'as been a mistake," she said contemptuously to Bagman. "E cannot compete.'E is too young."

"Well… it is amazing," said Bagman, rubbing his smooth chin and smiling down at Linny. "But, as you know, the age restriction was only imposed this year as an extra safety measure. And as his name's come out of the goblet… I mean, I don't think there can be any ducking out at this stage… It's down in the rules, you're obliged… Harry will just have to do the best he —"

The door opened to reveal Dumbledore, McGonagall, Moody, Madam Maxime, and Karkaroff. The latter two seemed furious not that McGonagall seemed any better.

"What is ze meaning of zis, Dumbly-Dorr?" she said imperiously.

"I'd rather like to know that myself, Dumbledore," said Professor Karkaroff. He was wearing a steely smile, and his blue eyes were like chips of ice. "Two Hogwarts champions? I don't remember anyone telling me the host school is allowed two champions – or have I not read the rules carefully enough?"

He gave a short and nasty laugh.

"C'est impossible," said Madame Maxime, whose enormous hand with its many superb opals was resting upon Fleur's shoulder. "Ogwarts cannot 'ave two champions. It is most unjust."

"We were under the impression that your Age Line would keep out younger contestants, Dumbledore," said Karkaroff, his steely smile still in place, though his eyes were colder than ever. "Otherwise, we would, of course, have brought along a wider selection of candidates from our own schools**."**

"Don't you dare blame Albus for this!" Professor McGonagall hissed. "Professor Dumbledore ensured every protection. This is no one's fault other than the Death Eater who had put the boy's name in."

"What makes you think it's a Death Eater?" Karkaroff demanded hotly. "It could have been the brat for all we know."

For one wild moment Linny thought Professor McGonagall was going to hit Karkaroff if it wasn't for Professor Dumbledore's own calming hand on her shoulder. Linny certainly felt the urge to kick this git's shins and probably would have done if a. Professor Snape wasn't holding onto his shoulder in a very tight grip, and b. he had Rose with him. He would only have to kick one shin with his little sister by his side. She would do the other obviously.

"His name is Lincoln Potter-Casson," Professor McGonagall snarled. "He has used that name since he was one years old. If he had put his name in the goblet that would be the one that came out not Harry Potter which you lot have ruined in your attempt to glorify a toddler."

"Minerva," Professor Dumbledore said rather sternly, it was unusual for him to sound so strict rather than the gentle grandfather figure. "This is not the time or place for an argument about the past.

"Mr. Crouch… Mr. Bagman," said Karkaroff, his voice had that tone that Daddy would use when he was trying to get someone to buy his paintings, "you are our - err - objective judges. Surely you will agree that this is most irregular?"

Bagman wiped his round, boyish face with his handkerchief and looked at Mr. Crouch, who was standing outside the circle of the firelight, his face half hidden in shadow. He looked slightly eerie, the half darkness making him look much older, giving him an almost skull-like appearance. When he spoke, however, it was in his usual curt voice.

"We must follow the rules, and the rules state clearly that those people whose names come out of the Goblet of Fire are bound to compete in the tournament."

"Well, Barty knows the rule book back to front," said Bagman, beaming and turning back to Karkaroff and Madame Maxime, as though the matter was now closed.

"But I didn't enter my name!" Linny protested speaking up for the first time since the Gryffindor table. "It's not my name anymore. I only answer to Linny Casson, not Harry Potter, how should this make me compete?"

"Ah," Professor Dumbledore said softly, "even though legally you are Lincoln Potter-Casson, magically your name has always been Harry Potter. You had a naming ceremony when you only a few days old where your godparents were named and a few important people witnessed you being…I believe the muggles call it baptized? Your magic recongises the name Harry Potter and it is your magic that the Goblet is bound to. If someone had entered your other name then, no, you wouldn't have had to compete but alas that is not the case. I am indeed very sorry my boy, I will contact your parents immediately after this."

"I insist upon resubmitting the names of the rest of my students," Karkaroff suddenly snapped. He had dropped his sucking up tone and his smile now. His face wore a very ugly look indeed. "You will set up the Goblet of Fire once more, and we will continue adding names until each school has two champions. It's only fair, Dumbledore."

"But Karkaroff, it doesn't work like that," said Bagman. "The Goblet of Fire's just gone out - it won't reignite until the start of the next tournament -"

"- in which Durmstrang will most certainly not be competing!" exploded Karkaroff. "After all our meetings and negotiations and compromises, I little expected something of this nature to occur! I have half a mind to leave now!"

Professor Dumbledore sighed, "Boys, I think it is best if you went to your common rooms," he said to Linny and Cedric, "this is going to take a very long time. Be rest assured that there is nothing needed to know about the First Task other than bring your wand and be prepared to test your wits in the face of fire." Professor Dumbledore said softly, "Mr. Krum, Miss Delacour, perhaps it is best if you went to bed as well. Your headmaster and headmistress will join you after we resolved this."

Linny would have protested. He wanted to know more. He wanted them to sort it out now! He wanted it clear to that snob Maxime and jerk Karkaroff that he was innocent and someone had put his name in that stupid flaming cup! He had even opened his mouth to say so but felt a Professor Snape's had almost crush his shoulder in response.

"Yes Professor," he murmured instead and then dutifully left but not without Professor McGonagall also squeezing his shoulder.

At this rate his shoulder was going to have a permanent hand bruise on it.

HPHPHPHPHPHPHPHPHP

Fortunately all his friends and family were on his side. Unfortunately the rest of the Wizardry World wasn't.

When he got back into the Common Room the twins tried to make a party but failed since everyone was downright miserable – their words not Linny's. He escaped the angry glares to end up finding Rose, Tom, Hermione, Ron, and Neville waiting for him. Rose was furious but luckily not at him. Just at the whole world for making Linny compete. Tom was jealous that Linny got to compete but knew Linny wouldn't risk the wrath of his sisters to enter a dangerous competition. None of his other friends believed he had entered either because, as Ron put it, "You would have entered under Linny Casson, we're not stupid, 'Y'know."

Seamus, however, didn't believe him while Dean did which resulted in a huge argument and now Dean was tagging alongside them for everything while looking really sad whenever Seamus was nearby. Linny felt guilty to destroy Dean's friendship while Rose was rather smug about it.

"Serves that Irish git right," she said, "Dean deserves better friends than stupid morons who will believe anything."

Luna was her usual airy self and announced to the hall she believed Linny was innocent from any wrong doing. That made Tom laugh, "Not according to his father," he managed to get out between chuckles and bacon.

The rest of the school wasn't so inclined to be kind. Not because his name came out of the Goblet though that was certainly what angered the Hufflepuffs. No the reason was because the whole world seemed to think he was a big fat liar because he didn't tell them he was Harry Potter. To top it off they all now seem to think he was an arrogant sod because he was Harry Potter. It made no sense and he moaned and moaned to everyone both in Hogwarts and at home in letters.

Bill was very unhappy with the whole situation and wrote lots of letters of complaint to anyone who would listen. Eve just cried and Linny couldn't quite read her letters with all the tear stains smudging the ink. Indigo was useless, Caddy even more so, and Michael didn't understand what was the big deal (he wasn't the only one). Sarah, Saffy, and Sirius however…

_Dear Bambi (don't pout you're Prongs' son that makes you a baby deer!), _

_Don't let the Wizardry world get you down; they're just jealous of your good looks, riches, and awesome skills. On a more Sirius note (aha, get it? Come on you smiled a little), I need you to keep your eyes open. There is something going on, Dumbledore is watching the signs even if no one else is, we'll solve this, I promise but you just keep yourself safe and alive. _

**Enough depressing stuff. Linny, Sarah and I are back for reading week (before you ask why we're sharing a letter with that dog), and we're really angry at how you have been treated. Nothing can be done and to make things worse the Daily Prophet has ignored our complaints (they're calling you all sorts in their paper. Something that cow Rita Skeeter started – the dog says keep away from her as much as you can), so all you can do is prove to the world how much of a Casson you are. Keep your head held up high, remain proud and righteous, stand up for yourself…and go behind everyone's backs to have your own story published. That Luna girl, her father owns a magazine, doesn't he? Have them print your story, written by you, and show the world how wrong they are. **

Until then we are looking into suing everyone. Just think you can own Malfoy's great big mansion that will make you smile the next time he childishly sings 'liar, liar, pants on fire'. 

Lots of love, 

Sarah, **Saffy, **_and Snuffles (don't laugh at me!). _

Linny folded the letter up and tucked it into his robe. "Thank you, Hedwig," he said petting his owl. She hooted softly before she stole the last of Ron's bacon.

"Hey I was eating that!" Ron cried out indignantly as Hedwig flew off.

Linny swears he could almost hear her laughing. It wouldn't surprise him since Hedwig was as much as a Casson as the family.

"Never mind, Ron," Hermione rolled her eyes, "we have class in ten minutes we might as well go now."

Ron bemoaned the loss of his bacon as they all got up and headed towards the entrance. Suddenly Linny fell to the floor and felt his glasses fly of his face. The hall ruptured into cold cruel laughter. "Come on mate," Ron mumbled as he helped Linny up. "Let's get out of here."

"Just ignore them," Hermione sniffed, "they're not worth it."

The teachers did nothing but then what could they do? No one knew who tripped Linny up and they couldn't punish the entire school for laughing. Instead, still missing his glasses Daddy was going to kill him, Linny held his head up high and allowed Hermione to frog march him out.

"Linny," a soft melodic voice wafted behind him, "you forgot your glasses, or do you no longer need them?"

He turned to see Luna holding out his glasses smiling softly at him. He remembered Saffy's advice and grinned back at her.

"Luna….is it possible I could write a story for the Quibbler?"

PRPRPRPRPRPRPRPRPRPRPRPR

It got worse before it got better.

The Weighing of the Wands thing had included the presence of Rita Skeeter who had been quick to try and pull Linny into a cupboard with her. Thankfully after shouting something about rape (like Daddy had taught Caddy, Saffy, and Rose to do if a strange man tried the same thing) McGonagall had come running in and rescued him, shortly followed by Bagman, Cedric, Krum, and Fleur. Madame Maxime had looked on with concern and Karkaroff couldn't care less.

Needless to say Rita Skeeter was immediately banned from being within a mile of Hogwarts and a particularly nasty article came out on how much of an attention seeking liar Harry Potter was.

The school's behavior had worsened and Rose ended up in lots of detentions for fighting. Ron too, and in the end the pair of them bonded over how stupid people are.

Linny wrote his own article and after numerous checks run by Saffy, Sarah, Hermione, and then Luna's father it was finally published a week before the First Task.

_HARRY POTTER: THE TRUTH NO ONE BOTHERED LOOKING FOR. _

_By Lincoln Harry Potter-Casson. _

_A few days after my birth parents had been murdered Professor Dumbledore had decided it was best for me to be raised in the muggle world. His reasoning had been that if I was raised in the Wizardry world where everyone hailed me a hero for defeating Voldemort (or, as you all refer to, You Know Who) I would grow to be as arrogant and spoilt as you all accuse me of being. Of course there was the case that Death Eaters were still at large and if I was to stay with a magical family they could easily be targeted. Therefore to keep both me and the magical world safe Professor Dumbledore sent me to live with my muggle aunt._

_Unfortunately for Professor Dumbledore he did not realize that my aunt no longer lived at her childhood home. He did not research her well and for that he apologises for his lack of insight. It had been a very hectic time of year for him as it was for everyone and he is, of course, human. I forgive Professor Dumbledore for this mistake because it had led to me being raised by my adoptive family whom I love with my very being. I had been found on the front door step by the Cassons' eldest daughter, my big sister, Caddy within several weeks adoption forms had been filled out and my name had legally been changed to Lincoln Harry Potter-Casson. My family has a tradition of naming children after paint colours and Lincoln is a particular shade of green that my adoptive mother had thought to have matched my eyes. I grew up as a Casson, I received a Hogwarts letter as a Casson, and I stood before the world as a Casson. None of that is a lie. _

_I never actively told a person that I was not Harry Potter, I never purposely hid my scar, nor did I refuse to do what any wizard would do if there was no other option to protect the ones they love. I am not a liar. No one bothered to look closely enough at the new muggleborn to realize he looked like James Potter with Lily Potter's eyes or that he had lightning bolt scar on his forehead. The ones that did had been the teachers and my closest friends and they knew who I was a person not the mythical hero you have all created._

_The wizardry world seems to think I am a liar because I do not claim my fame. They seem to think I have no desire other than to compete in the Triwizard Tournament. They are wrong. I am not a liar, no one bothered to pay attention to me to realize the truth – my name had been there plain as day for the last four years. I have no desire to be in the tournament, I would much prefer to pass potions this year while enjoying Christmas with my family. Even if I did enter I would have never dishonoured the family I love by using my birth name instead of the name I have used for the last thirteen years of my life. _

_The Hogwarts staff and a selection from the ministry are trying to solve the mystery of how my name got into the Goblet. They suspect a Death Eater or at least sympathiser has done it in order to kill me. Please support them in situation and continue to support Cedric Diggory, the real Hogwarts Champion who had wanted the honour and had entered in his own free will. He deserves the glory, not I. _

_For Harry Potter's opinions on Nargles please turn to page ten, _

_For Harry Potter's opinions on the Fudge conspiracy please turn to page twelve,_

_And for more information of the Casson Family please turn to page eighteen. _

After the article Linny received many letters of support all over the country. Many of the Gryffindors had apologised by the end of the day (though sadly not Seamus) and then during the next the Hufflepuffs and Ravenclaws started to approach him.

"We are sorry, Linny," Hannah Abbot said clutching a copy of the Quibbler to her chest, "we should have realised you would have never done such a thing. You're not the attention seeking type."

"We knew after Second Year that you're not a bad guy," Justin said shamefully, "we should have known that was the case for this."

"On behalf of the Fourth Year Hufflepuffs I humbly apologise and beseech you for your forgiveness," Ernie said pompously.

"And Cedric says thank you for the support," Susan added hastily.

"Are we still friends?" all four chorused.

"Of course," Linny grinned and shook all their hands.

"Did I ever mention how your brother is too forgiving for his own good?" Ron grumbled to Rose.

"It is something that none of us has ever been able to cure him of," Rose said sadly, "it is the same illness Mummy and Caddy suffer from."


	14. Frosted Glass

**Author's Note: a very, very belated birthday present to my little brother Michael. **

_Dear everyone (I'm too lazy to write all of your names down, I shall pretend you are all here even if you're away for University or something), _

_Linny fought a dragon!_

_**I did not! If you're going to be telling the story Rose at least TRY to be right. **_

_Stop interrupting my letter Linny! You said I can tell them! All right, all right, so Linny is right, he didn't fight a dragon but he did out-fly one on his Firebolt! The First Task of the Triwizard Tournament was terrifying – not that I was scared or anything –_

_**Right, and the fact you were clinging to Tom crying was because you lost your pencil?**_

_I DIDN'T CRY!_

_**Notice that she didn't deny clinging to Tom? Ouch!**_

_Linny has now gone crying to Hermione because I accidentally sent a bat bogey hex. Anyway! The First Task of the Triwizard Tournament was dragons! They had to get past them to get hold of a golden egg; it's not a very good golden egg either, it wails and shrieks a lot like Buttercup and his sisters when they're really upset. The twins thought it was their brother singing in the shower after listening to it again I thought it sounded more like Daddy. The first champion, Cedric Digger or the other changed a rock into a dog, how awesome is that? One day I'll be able to turn Midnight into a rock! Then Flower, the French girl, did something that made all the boys stupid and drooling, it was a lot like being at a feast or the World Cup. Her skirt ended up on fire! Krum, the Qudditch player that Ron worships the ground he walks on, shot some sort of curse or hex at the Dragon that made it faint and destroy most of the eggs! Poor unborn dragon babies! And then it was Linny! It was the best bit of flying he ever did, you would have loved it if you weren't scared out of your wits (I love that phrase). _

_The Second Task isn't until the end of February so we have lots and lots of time to help Linny solve the puzzle in the golden egg!_

_I can't wait to see what Linny has to fight next!_

_Lots of love, _

_Rose (and Linny, and Tom, and a few others that I can't be bothered to name)._

"Interesting letter writer," Sirius said in a strangled voice.

"She always was," Bill sighed.

"Do you ever think we'll be able to get a letter from them without having a heart attack?" Sarah asked cheerfully.

"No that would be asking for a miracle," Saffy muttered as she placed the letter back on the table. They had returned for a long weekend neither able to focus on their lessons knowing that Linny could possibly die on Tuesday. It did mean a hell lot of catching up once they returned to London the next day. Something Saffy was not looking forwards to. "Just once, one blessed time, I would like to come home knowing there isn't a disaster coming round the corner."

Indigo, Sarah, and David all murmured agreements while Sirius grinned at the idea and Bill just rubbed his face.

"Unfortunately, Saffron," he said tiredly, "not even God himself could perform such a miracle."

PRPRPRPRPRPRPRPRPRPRPR

Rose was making her way back from the kitchens weighed down with food.

Last week after the First Task Hermione had managed to persuade the Weasley twins into telling her where the kitchens were and once she went in their she was surprised to see Winky, Mr Crouch's Ex-House Elf and Dobby's friend. Rose had only met her once before shortly after the Qudditch World Cup when she arrived to spend some time sobbing on Dobby's shoulder. Bill had refused out-flat in hiring another House Elf, one was more than enough apparently, and Winky left still sobbing much to Saffy's disgust (Saffy had also become a member of Hermione's society...well sort of, she just did law research). This, of course, led to disaster as Hermione tried to cheer Winky up and persuade her and her fellow workers that they were better off with paying jobs, health care, and clothes.

It was needless to say that Hermione was no longer welcome in the kitchens but Rose was. The House Elves loved Rose. They cooked her all the extra snacks she asked for and cleaned her clothes she wore as she munched her way through cakes and biscuits galore.

This time round she disliked dinner so much (boring Sheppard's pie again with peas...blergh!) and ended up in the kitchen with Luna asking for something else. After a delicious pasta dish and garlic bread, as well as extra pudding much to Luna's delight, they left with some extra cakes and hot chocolate to take back to the common room. Rose hadn't seen Linny all day for some reason and hoped to share at least one of these cakes with him but if it turned out he was avoiding her because he was a jerky older brother like Ron then she'll smash it in his face instead, so ha!

To her surprise though she almost immediately walked into Linny on the way out. "Oof!" she mumbled as her cake went straight into Linny's chest.

"Oh thanks, Rose," Linny groaned.

"What are you doing here?" she demanded.

"Getting dinner, what are you doing here?"

"The same," Rose said glaring at his cream covered chest...her yummy éclair lost forever...oh the tragedy. "It was disgusting food tonight but why did you miss dinner?"

"I was hiding from all the girls," Linny confessed blushing a bright red...hmm Rose couldn't help but wonder if she could get that in a paint colour... "Professor McGonagall announced that we were having a ball over Christmas and I have no choice but to go since I'm a champion and now..."

"You have to go," Rose finished pulling a face. She hated dances and parties unless there was good food like marshmallows. Will there be marshmallows at the Yule Ball? She should ask the House Elves. "So apart from being tortured one night what's wrong?"

"I have to bring a date," Linny said gloomily.

Oh...

_Oh!_

Linny wasn't very good with girls unless they were sisters or friends. He had a bit of a crush on Cho last year but that was a total waste of time where he ended up tripping over and dribbling down his shirt and then died of shame. In all fairness though Indigo and David were just as bad with girls the only reason why Indigo had a girlfriend and the others didn't was because Sarah decided 'right that's it' and snogged Indy. In all fairness, Michael was just as useless with Caddy, Derek failed with Eve, Bill was a moron, and Tom, Ron, and Dean were prats when it all came to girls, and Neville...well he makes David look like a suave (new word! She learnt it from Saffy when she was ranting about Sirius slash Midnight over the summer) playboy. Poor Linny, it was no wonder why he was so useless when talking to a girl that wasn't a Casson or Sarah, Luna, Hermione, and Ginny.

"Would you like some pudding, Linny?" Luna asked suddenly, "I find pudding always helps."

Both Linny and Rose jumped suddenly.

"Luna! I forgot you were there!" Rose said clutching the rest of her cakes before they were lost forever on the floor.

"I wasn't there," Luna said dreamily, "I was here," she tapped her head, "I was working out an Ancient Runes puzzle but I could not help but overhear Linny, if finding a date is a problem why not ask a friend? That way you don't have to worry if she likes you for yourself or for Harry Potter...pudding?"

Linny stared at Luna as if he had never seen her before. It was a lot like when Indigo suddenly started staring at Sarah...

Oh no!

No! Definitely not!

Rose opened her mouth with a desperate attempt to get rid of Linny so she and Luna can eat their pudding in peace when it was all too late!

"You are right, Luna," Linny nodded, "I need a friend I can trust, would you like to go to the ball with me? As a friend only!"

Luna looked delighted. "No one has ever asked to go anywhere as a friend, apart from Rose of course, I would love to go but I'm not very good at dancing," she admitted.

"Neither am I," Linny confessed.

Rose snorted. Now that was an understatement the only thing that was worse than Linny's dancing was a giraffe doing ballet in jelly slippers.

Luna and Linny then stood there smiling at one another shyly and Rose felt like banging her head against a wall. What is it with brothers and their sister's best friends in this family?

HPHPHPHPHPHPHPHPHPHPHPHP

Ron laughed right in Linny's face when he announced who he will be going to the ball with. Hermione slapped him for it and he landed in a rather miserable looking Ginny's lap, Neville, however, smiled a little uncertainly at Linny and Dean had hurriedly decided to just draw and not get too involved in this.

"Well I think that's wonderful, Linny," Hermione declared loudly, "you deserve to have a good time and if you went with someone who wasn't a friend then you'd be objected to all sorts of misery. And it will save Luna from any sort of horrible bullies who might have used this to take advantage of her."

Ron rubbed his cheek and looked up worriedly, "Why would they do that?" he asked.

"They think it's funny to get her hopes up," Neville said sadly, "earlier this year one boy asked her to Hogsmeade as a date...she said no, thankfully, but well..."

"We heard the boy laughing how she thought he had been serious when he was just playing a joke on her," Hermione said disgustedly, "he said it'll work the next time because she'll become desperate when no one will want to go out with Loony Lovegood."

"How dare they?!" Linny snarled. "I hope Rose curses them to pieces for that!"

"Yes, it's not nice on her at all," Ron agreed looking rather furious, "She's not bad, our Luna, is she? There's no need to play a mean joke at all. Now to a more important matter, Linny has a date to the Yule Ball that just leaves the three of us to find one."

"Two of you," Hermione sniffed, "I already found a date."

"WHAT?!"

"Don't make me repeat myself."

"But...how...why...who...what?" Ron stammered.

"Your shock is very unflattering."

"Well then," Ron said trying to get back his dignity (he failed), "you're lying, aren't you?"

Linny quickly tuned out as Hermione's face flushed a crimson red and her nostrils flared out like Professor McGonagall's did when she was really angry. An argument was happening and he didn't want part of it. Instead he paid attention to Neville and Ginny, Neville was very pink and was stammering a lot as he asked Ginny to the Yule Ball.

Ron's attention was now torn between brotherly duty to protect his sister, finding a date to the Yule Ball before he was the only one out of his friends that was dateless, and arguing with Hermione. In the end it was his need for a date that won over since he beamed at Neville, "excellent idea mate, Linny you don't mind if I took Rose to the ball, do you?"

Linny opened his mouth to answer when Tom's voice came out instead (perhaps Tom had turned Linny into one of those puppets, like Pinocchio?), "too late, Weasley, I've already asked Rose to the ball and she said yes," they all looked up to find Tom glaring down at them rather menacingly.

"You have?" Linny asked a little sceptical. Rose would surely be bouncing on the walls instead of sulking in the corner doing her homework if that had been the case. "When?"

"Just now," Tom smirked, "OI! ROSE!" Rose snapped her head up and glared at Tom. "Fancy being my date to the ball?"

Rose stared blankly before she shrugged, "all right," she said before scowling down at her homework.

Inspired by Tom, Fred suddenly stood up and bellowed to Angelina, "Oi! Angelina, wanna go to the ball with me?"

Soon enough all the boys were shouting out date requests much to Hermione's horror. Linny personally admired each and every boy's courage for doing that he barely managed to say hello to any girl he fancied let alone ask them out. Thank god Luna was such a good friend and made her suggestion before he humiliated himself further than he has to.

PRPRPRPRPRPRPRPRPRPRPRPR

"What is it with this family and their need to date a sibling's best friend?" Saffy grumbled on Christmas morning. Linny and Rose were snuggled up on Linny's bed having just unwrapped their presents (and woken up the whole dormitory thanks to Linny screaming Rose's name when she suddenly attacked him) and experimented with Linny's brand new present from Sirius – a two-way mirror that used to be his biological father's. "First Rose fancied Tom, Indigo's best friend-"

"I do _**NOT **_fancy Tom!" Rose snapped.

Several loud coughs echoed as Linny, Saffy, and the entire eavesdropping ("Hey! We're all in the living room!" Sarah snapped indignantly) Casson Family coughed their disbelief at this. Even Dobby coughed – okay squeak was more accurate – in disbelief and Rose had managed to convince him that chalk was edible last year! Sirius just burst out into hysterical laughter right there and then and had to be calmed down by the visiting Professor Lupin.

"And now they're going on a date," Saffy continued as if Rose had never spoken, "then you have Indigo and Sarah, less said of that the more likely I'll be able to eat my dinner today, and now we have Linny and Luna, what's next? Am I to fall madly in love with Caddy's best friend?"

"Oh no darling," Caddy laughed, "all my dearest friends are no longer around for you to fall for. It will have to be David or one of Linny's little friends."

Saffy looked like she would rather eat something revolting, like spinach, than kiss David or Ron or Neville.

Linny and Rose laughed and after some more Christmas greetings and thanking people they signed off to enjoy their Christmas Day. They filled themselves up with lots of food, played in the snow for a couple hours, and then Rose was kidnapped by Hermione, Ginny, and Luna to 'get ready' (for some reason it sounded more like a torture session than dressing up for a dance). This became the boys cue to come inside and start showering, eventually after playing chess with Ron, and doing some sketches in his new pad from Caddy and Michael, Linny dressed in his new bottle green robes (picked out specially by Saffy, Sarah, Caddy, and Eve).

He came downstairs to find Luna was waiting for him in the common room wearing a pretty silvery dress. Like liquid moonlight, he had thought idly as he approached her, "You look nice," he said cheerfully.

"Thank you," Luna said dreamily as ever, "So do you."

"Ah thanks," Linny said feeling a little hot for some reason, "do you want to head downstairs?"

"Sure."

The entry hall was filled with colour – a beautiful and unnatural change to the sea of black Linny had struggled to get used to – different shades of blues, greens, reds, pinks, and yellows filled the room like a kaleidoscope as someone moves and changes the shape. Linny could almost make out Ron in his terribly frilly maroon robes next to Pravati looking rather exotic in her hot pink sari.

"Hey," he called out.

"Oh hi Linny, hi Luna," Pravati beamed out them, and Linny grinned back immediately. His classmates have all virtually fallen back on calling him Linny now. All the Gryffindors, a handful of Hufflepuffs, a couple Ravenclaws, and perhaps some of the Slytherins he really wouldn't know since Malfoy is the only one to speak to him. "You both look wonderful."

"Thank you," Luna said, "so do you, I must say Ronald maroon is the perfect choice to fend off all those nargles they find it so ghastly."

"Err...thanks?" Ron blinked before mouthing something along the lines _what the hell_ to Linny, "Have you seen Hermione?"

Before Linny could say no McGonagall made a call for all Champions and he regretfully pulled away from his friends and went to line up with the others. Cedric looked dashing as always with Cho dressed in Chinese garb beside him, Fleur was in a darker shade of silver – more grey than anything but the shiny aspect of the material made it look silver – with Roger, and Victor was in a more formal variation of his uniform with a very pretty girl in blue.

"Hello Hermione," Luna said cheerfully. Linny's mouth dropped open at that. Hermione? His best friend Hermione with silky straight hair and a pretty blue dress? _Without her books_? Looking a bit like Sarah with that mischievous smile? Hermione Granger? "Oh dear," Luna giggled, "I think Linny just suffered an attack of the wrackspurts."

"No Luna," Hermione shook her head, "he is simply suffering the misfortune of being a boy."

Linny wondered if Indigo, David, Tom, and Michael ever solved the mystery of girls last summer and if so why they hadn't told him.

It could be really useful right now.

HPHPHPHPHPHPHPHPHP

Rose had the best night of her life.

After being thoroughly tortured by her so called best friends with evil appliances like an eyelash curler (honestly who would want to curl their eyelashes? It sounded like something Snape might do to a student in detention) and then forced into a dress that her family sent to her when they heard about her going to the ball (by the way she really didn't appreciate all the jokes and laughter she got from Indigo, Michael, Daddy, and Sirius, they were all going to get a swift kick in the arse when she next sees them) she was allowed to escape from their clutches and into Tom's arms – NOT LIKE THAT! SHE DID _**NOT **_FANCY TOM! Besides within two minutes she kicked Tom hard in the shins.

"Ow! What was that for?"

"You laughed at me!"

"Well you look ridiculously unlike Permanent Rose."

"Blame the other girls for that," she huffed.

She would have spent the whole night sulking about the fact she was wearing probably the most hideous lacy, frilly, puffy skirted, pink and black dress in the world, (it had a bow on it, oh the horror, surely she was too old for a dress like this anyway?) but Tom being...well _Tom_ cheered her up and it was nice to look at all the other colours everyone was wearing that night as well. Dinner was really good, Rose got to pick what she wanted to eat in the first time for months, and watching Linny trip all over the dance floor with Luna just twirling round and humming to herself was hilarious. Then some really decent music came on and following Fred Weasley and Angelina Johnson example Tom and her danced some very ridiculous over the top dance moves pretending to be one of those Jane Austen characters from those silly films Caddy cries over and Saffy and Sarah swoon about Mr Darcy or Pansy or whatever his name is.

Then they sat down with the lovely delicious butterbeer and lots and lots of chocolate while taking the mick of all the other dancers and teachers who were trying to be cool (and failing). Then they ended up racing one another in the garden, bumping into an irritable Snape, and almost tripping over a snogging Fleur and Roger before finding Linny and Luna who overheard Hagrid's secret.

"Prejudiced gits," Tom muttered, "it shouldn't matter who their parents were! Hagrid and Madame Maxime seem to be fine teachers. Hagrid is awesome and yet his ashamed of who he is because of what his mother was? It's not fair."

"It must be so cool to have a giant for a parent," Rose murmured imagining her Daddy as a giant as he stomped on all the bullies and built them a house on a cloud...she needed to draw, _now!_

Tom smiled down at her warmly and suddenly kissed her cheek.

She flushed with happiness and warmth and knew this was the best moment of her night – no her life – and it was not because she fancied Tom BECAUSE SHE _**DIDN'T**_! ALL RIGHT?! But because at the same time Pravati snapped (Ron has apparently been in a huffy mood all night since Hermione arrived on Krum's arm, according to Luna and Linny when they hung out earlier, and he had been ignoring Pravati the whole time while causing an argument or two with Hermione) and poured her drink all over Ron's head.

Oh if only she had a camera!

Luckily though, the twins did.


End file.
